Balasan (Child’s Pose)

Procedure 

• Lie flat on your stomach, legs together and palms touching the outer sides of your thighs with your chin on the floor, i.e. Simple Prone Posture.
• Now, fold your left arm and place the head over your left elbow.
• Next, place your right palm above your left hand, fold your right leg at the knee and then bring it closer to the chest, keeping the knee on the ground.
• Move your right elbow slightly to the right side.
• Adjust the position of your head according to your comfort.
• Take a few slow and deep breaths, and relax the whole body.
• Mentally chant “Radhey” while inhaling, and “Krishna” while exhaling.
• Be in this state for a minute with somewhat slow and deep breathing.
• In the same way, repeat on the other side.

Awareness

• On feeling relaxation of the whole body
• On the breaths synchronized with the mental chanting of the Holy Names “Radhey Krishna”

Benefits

• Balasan activates the digestive peristalsis by exercising the intestines. 
• It also alleviates constipation.
• It soothes sciatic pain by relaxing the nerves of the legs. 
• It is a perfect relaxing pose for pregnant women of the later period as they can either sleep, rest, or practice Subtle Body Relaxation (See page 347) in this pose.