How to perform Ananda Balasana
Lay down on your back in Sputa Samasthiti and inhale deeply. With exhalation raise your legs up straight, if possible with your knees together. Hold your legs straight up and inhale again.
With the next exhalation you bend your knees towards your belly and grab your big toes. The soles of your feet keep on pointing upwards towards the ceiling.
Open your knees wider apart than the width of your upper body and bring them toward your armpits. Keep your feet just above your knees and feel the stretch in your groins, hips and inner spine.
After holding a steady posture for a while, you should leave the seriousness and become like a baby to really enjoy this pose and get all benefit of it. Start moving your legs, pulling them towards you, rolling your back and enjoy being in the posture without caring too much where your legs and arms go.
Benefits of Ananda Balasana
Ananda Balasana is a very good pose for relieving stress and fatigue. You should feel like a baby when you are in the pose, so you experience the joy and happiness of lying in this position. This calms the brain and relaxes mind and body which can be good against depression. In this way this yoga pose is easy and useful for beginners but also efficient for advanced practitioners.
It is not only relaxing, though, but also strengthens your legs, thighs and even your hip muscles. It stretches your groins and makes the hips flexible.
Focus Points
While performing this Ananda Balasana you should do every effort to feel like a baby to get the complete benefit of the pose.
Tips and Help
If you cannot reach up to your toes, you can use a piece of cloth or a scarf to do the same action.
When to avoid Ananda Balasana
If you suffer from injuries of the neck, spine or knees, you should not perform this yoga pose.
Pregnant women should also avoid this yoga exercise.
Elderly people with health issues should consult their doctor before performing this exercise.