Supported Child's Pose (Salamba Balasana)

Pronunciation and meaning

Salamba Balasana: suh-LUM-buh bah-LAHS-uh-nuh. Each word carries its stress on the second syllable.

Salamba means supported and bala means child, so the name is supported child's posture. It is Child's Pose with a bolster under the whole front of the body, so you can rest there for many minutes.

How to do Supported Child's Pose

1. Kneel on your mat with a bolster lengthways in front of you and a folded blanket nearby.
2. Bring your big toes together and open your knees about as wide as the mat, drawing the near end of the bolster in between your thighs.
3. Lengthen forward and lay your belly, chest and head down along the bolster. Put a block under the far end if it feels low.
4. Turn your head to one side and rest your cheek on the bolster. Let your arms rest on the floor on either side of it, elbows bent.
5. Stay for five to ten minutes, turning your head to face the other way halfway through.
6. To come out, press your hands into the floor and walk yourself slowly back up to kneeling, then sit for a breath or two.

Make it easier

• Place a folded blanket between the buttocks and the heels if the knees feel tight.
• Roll a small towel under the fronts of the ankles if the tops of the feet ache against the floor.
• Raise the bolster on two blocks, one under each end, if you want more height under the chest.
• Rest your forehead on a folded blanket on top of the bolster, instead of your cheek, if turning the head is uncomfortable.

Pregnancy and after birth

Pregnancy. Adapt. Open the knees wide enough for the belly to sit between them without pressure, and stack the bolster high on blocks. If kneeling becomes uncomfortable later in pregnancy, lie on your left side and hug the bolster instead. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.

After birth. Adapt. After your OB or midwife has cleared you, raise the bolster so there is little weight on the belly, which matters especially after a caesarean birth. If your breasts are tender, a folded blanket laid over the bolster can make lying on the chest easier.

Wondering about yoga safety in pregnancy? Joahnna Lee covers it trimester by trimester.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the bolster too far forward, so the belly hangs over a gap.
• Keeping the knees close together, which squashes the belly against the bolster and makes the breath feel crowded.
• Keeping the head turned the same way for the whole hold, so the neck stiffens.
• Using a soft pillow that flattens under you. The support needs to be firm enough to hold its shape.

Supported Child’s Pose is the restorative version of Child’s Pose. Where the classic pose is often a short pause between other shapes, this one is a place to stay: the bolster takes your weight so your breath can slow down.

In restorative yoga it is often held for several minutes, with a blanket over your back if the aircon is cool.

If your knees enjoy kneeling, Hero Pose on a block is an upright seat to breathe in before or after.