Yin Style: Happy Baby and Half Happy Baby Pose

Setting Up:
Foundation-Begin lying on your back. Draw the knees in toward the chest and reach up to take a hold of either the inner arches or the big toes.

Action- Draw the knees a bit wider than the rib cage and allow the weight of the arms to pull the knees towards the space of the underarms.

Boundary- Keep the feet facing the ceiling. Keep the head and neck relaxed.

While You are There: Hold for 2-5 minutes.

Modify- Work on one side at a time. The free side may have the sole of the foot on the floor with the knee bent for a softer option or fully extend the free side to increase the stretch. If tightness prevents you from reaching the feet you may hold the back of the thighs. If the neck arches deeply and the head has trouble relaxing toward the earth, place a blanket underneath the head for support.
Deepen- Add a bit more pulling force to draw the knees to the floor. If one is super flexible you could shift towards foot behind the head.

Transition out of the Pose: Release the feet back to the floor. It might feel nice to land the feet a bit wider and “windshield wiper” the knees from side to side.
 
Why (benefits)

• Opens the hips- Great option for those who need less weight bearing in hip opening
• Stretches the muscles crossing the SI joints
• If a pulling force is added with the arms there is some strength added to the brachialis and biceps.
  

When to Avoid (contraindications)

• If the hips roll up off the floor that might not be appropriate for students who need to minimize spinal flexion
• If there is looseness or pain in the SI joints going too deep may aggravate it.

Yang Variation: Same pose with the pulling force. This is also a prep for deeper yang poses such as feet behind head aka Yoga Nidra Pose.

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About Chris Loebsack
​Chris Loebsack, 500 E.R.Y.T,  fell in love with yoga in 1995 and began teaching in 2003. Chris uses the power of yoga to create a space for students that cultivates trust, playfulness and Divine connection with themselves and with community. Living by her mantra, Clarity, Integrity and Love, she draws upon her partner yoga practice to share the healing power of touch and safe intimacy. A passion for discovering subtlety in movement has lead Chris to deepen her education with the Anatomy Studies for Yoga Teachers® kinesiology program. Her playful yet focused classes are filled with user friendly gems of applied anatomy leaving students with a greater understanding of how to find comfort and space in their bodies and smiles beaming across their faces. She encourages teachers to set a higher standard of excellence through knowledge and has become a valuable mentor to many upcoming yoga educators. 
Chris teaches privates, classes and workshops across the globe. She is currently the director of the Boundless Yoga 200 hr and 500 hr Teacher Training programs and an Adjunct Teacher Trainer for the Om Factory® School of Yoga NYC 200hr, BambooMoves, Bhakti Barn Yoga, Just Plain Yoga, and NearMe Yoga 200hr Teacher Training Programs. She has also been featured in Fitness Magazine®, Yoga Journal: Yoga Mentor, Good an Well, Local Flair Magazine and the New York Times. In addition to yoga you are likely to find her laughing with friends and family or quietly meditating with her cats (Sukha, Fuzz-butt, and Squirrel) or traveling and teaching with her husband Brian M. Davis as Boundless Motion.

Boundless Yoga Studio Stroudsburg Classes:
Alignment and Anatomy of Yoga (All Levels) Mondays 9:30 am
Zen Flow (Level 1/2) Mondays 5:30 pm
Flow (Level 2/3) Thursdays 9:30 am
Flow (Level 1) Sundays 9:30 am 

​Boundless Yoga Studio Mt. Pocono Class 
YIN Yoga (Stretch) Tuesdays 6:00 pm ​
Zen Flow (Open Level) Fridays 9:30 am - Begins June 1st, 2018

Upcoming Workshops Events:
7/20-22 The Yin Approach Advanced Studies Program  Only 7 spaces remaining as of 6/17
​11/3-5 Chair Yoga Advanced Studies Program 
Fall/Winter 2018- 200 hr The Journey Begins Teacher Training Program  6 Spaces Remaining as of 7/15

Touring Schedule 2018 Contact Chris  to register for any of the immersions
8/22-Sept 7th Level 2 AcroYoga Teacher Training- Greece
10/5-7 Divine Play- Portland Oregon
November 10/11 and 17/18 2 Weekend Ontario AcroYoga Elemental Immersion
December 26-30, New Years AcroYoga Solar Immersion Goa India: Info TBA next week!

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