Mobility and stretches
Child's pose
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- lower back · lats
- Also
- hips · glutes · shoulders
Child's pose is a kneeling rest position where you sit your hips back toward your heels and reach your arms forward along the floor. It lengthens the lower back, hips and lats while letting your breathing slow down, which makes it useful at the start of a session or at the end of one. It suits every level, since you control how far back you sit.
Form
How to do child's pose
- 1Kneel on the floor with your knees roughly hip width or a little wider, big toes touching, and sit your hips back toward your heels.
- 2Walk your hands forward and let your chest sink between your thighs, resting your forehead on the floor if it reaches.
- 3Reach your fingertips away and press your palms lightly down so you feel your shoulder blades spread and your sides lengthen.
- 4Breathe slowly into your back and ribs, letting your hips settle a little closer to your heels on each exhale.
- 5Hold the position calmly for the effort, then walk your hands back in and come up to kneeling.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Rounding the shoulders up by your ears as you reach forward.
Fix: Draw your shoulder blades away from your ears and keep your arms long and relaxed rather than gripping.
Forcing the hips down when the knees or ankles feel pinched.
Fix: Widen your knees, tuck a folded towel behind your knees or under your ankles, and sit back only as far as stays comfortable.
Holding your breath or breathing shallow into the chest.
Fix: Take slower, longer breaths and aim them into your back and side ribs so the stretch eases with each exhale.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions