Balasana or Garbasana (usually a different form that is done upright with feet behind head): Child's Pose is a popular posture for teachers to start their class in.
Below I state reasons that you should not do childs posture unless your warmed up and in great health. For as many reasons as you hear to do this pose I suggest otherwise. I never start in this posture and find it very unwise for most students to begin here.
I am used to being out spoken as an individual and as a Yoga teacher I find that true as well. My main concern is safety first for my student. A teacher should create a safe environment for a students own growth. A teacher should know exactly why they are teaching what they are instructing to their students.
When considering the benefits of a Yogapose the question should be asked, why not do a posture? Below I list the reasons not to do this posture for the majority of students considering that the students are not all fit 20 year olds. I've found in twelve years of teaching all body types that the majority of students are ill equipped for this pose, myself included.
Garbasana (Child’s Pose)
Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips or as wide as your mat.
Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs.
Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Or extend your arms out shoulder width with palms down.
Purported Benefits
Gently stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles. Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue.
REASONS NOT TO DO CHILD'S POSE
Most of the population have tight ankles from wearing shoes and not stretching. This position hyper flexes stiff ankle joints and connective tissue. Ever twist your ankle? This is essentially what your doing to the top of your foot with your body weight pressing on delicate bone.
Tight knees and injuries to the knee joint can cause a myriad of issues for the majority of the population. Shin splints, runners knee, Achilles tendinitis, floating knee cap, swelling around and behind the knee are just a few of the external issues that can be compounded by the pressure in this pose especially on a cold joint. Internally the potential of a twist in the joint leading to a meniscus tear is enough warning in this position to warrant not being here cold. A meniscus surgery can potentially require a cadaver transplant.
We haven't even made it to the hips yet. The potential external rotation of the hips with the added body weight pressure can cause an inflammation of bursitis and sciatica. The compression of the femoral artery and contraction of the hip flexor can cause numbness and loss of blood flow throughout the legs. Most of the population have tight hamstrings and this posture creates a sustained hamstring contraction making things tighter.
Wait there's more (as the ever popular info commercial likes to remind us). The extended arm version can create a contraction of tight neck and shoulder muscles aggravating the upper body. Rotator cuff injuries are so common in most individuals. In this posture we are irritating tight shoulders and potentially adding stress to the delicate rotator cuff tendons and tissue. To compensate most students will lock out their elbows. Tendinitis is another common ailment. Even with the hands back by the feet version of this pose there is a rotation in the forearm to turn the palms up which is a major irritant of tendinitis.
To the low back this posture generally cause a bowing of the back due to tight back muscles. This pulling can culminate in your sacral and lumbar area. Never allow someone to push or try to straighten out your back in this position especially if your not warmed up.
I find most students place pressure on their forehead causing compression in the back of their neck, another common sight of injury. As a neck injury survivor I find even with my chin tucked in this position unbearable for very long.
Another supposed benefit is stress reduction. However when we have pressure in our chest and abdomen it can be difficult to breath. This posture puts most students in an abdominal contraction with rounded shoulders and tightened ribs making it very challenging to take a deep or prolonged breath. Yoga should start with a deep centering breath technique not available with a compressed abdomen. For a student suffering from panic attacks or claustrophobia this is a frightening posture to begin in.
I will skip the contraindications for pregnancy. Suffice it to say CHILD'S posture is good for children. An average individual, new to Yoga or not probably will find this posture uncomfortable and potentially damaging especially when it is the first shape they are asked to assume with a cold, tight and stiff body. All the top ten sports injuries can be aggravated by this 'restful' posture. For these reasons and more I will never start my Yoga classes from here.
I'd rather have you facing me so I can see your smile as you sit upright and breath deeply with me. Safety First smiles all around. See you on the mat.
- Yogi Troy Cox
