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Level 1 Difficulty. A delightful stretch for the inner thighs, (groin), knees and even the lower back, Happy Baby is a pose that just about anybody can do. A great way to start the day if you wake up stiff. Try it in combination with the Side to Sides for a gentle, lower body work out.
| Yoga Snack
A great TV watching pose, or try this while you're waiting for the bath to run. Good stretch in the morning for stiff hips. | To get more our your poses and routines, see the Serenity Yoga Breathing Themes. The best ones for this pose include Red Level, Green Level and Yellow Level. |
| | This pose has an 'active' form and a 'passive' form. In 'passive' forms of poses, you don't 'work' at the pose, you allow breathing and gravity to create the stretching. In 'active' forms of poses, you actively participate in stretching, but of course, always by coaxing your body further and further as you breathe out. | Start
Lying on your back
Arms by your sides
Legs outstretched |  | Bring your knees up
Reach inside your legs and hold on to your ankles.
(If you can't reach your ankles, then hold your lower legs.) | | Allow your legs to open up, knees dropping gently to either side. |
| | Passive Form | | Lie quietly in this position and feel how gravity and breathing encourage your legs to open more and more. Don't force the stretch or try to make it happen. Let it happen by itself. | | Active Form | Once you are in position, encourage the stretch by drawing your heels upward, toward your hands. Increase the stretch even more by using your elbows to gently encourage your thighs to open farther. |  | | Saftey Tip Do not force or strain at these movements. See how much you can do with every breath out. |
| | Try Combining with Side to Sides for a calming mini-routine that loosens your lower body. | | Do this pose at:| Red Level | Do the steps and enjoy a good stretch | | Orange Level | Do each pose using the Orange Level procedure.
OR for a simpler Orange Level routine:
Pay close attention to breathing in and out at the right time when doing each posture. | | Yellow Level | Match movements with the breath
For each step of going into and out of the pose:
Start the movement and the breath at the same time
Pace them together
End the movement and breath at the same time |
| Benefits: Loosens inner thighs, knees and lower back.
Time to Do: 1 - 3 minutes, or as long as you like!
Warms You Up for / Builds You Up for: Postures requiring inner thigh flexibility, like Cobbler, Lunges, Warrior Poses and Sun Salutations.
Combines Well with: Side to Sides
Energy Center Used: Root Chakra
Best Breathing Themes: Red Level (feeling the stretch increase as you let go of your breath), Green Level. Yellow Level when combined with Side to Sides.
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