The Best Yoga Poses for Tapping Into Your Inner Child

What better time than October to try something new and awaken your inner child in your yoga practice? Now more than ever, it’s hard to understate how important it can be to tap into your inner child every so often. There’s a lot to be said for putting the day’s troubles away for a moment to simply let go, be playful, and laugh. To help you add a little extra fun to your practice, we’ve rounded up the best yoga poses for capturing that joyful, childlike spirit. 

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September is Self-Care Month aka Yoga Month 🧘🏾‍♀️ Self-care is a necessity NOT a luxury. I feel like our generation now has the luxury to incorporate self-care in our daily lives and I’m grateful. Pose Asana: Child’s Pose Balasana A restorative pose that: * Relieves back and neck pain. * Gently stretches his and thighs. * Calms and relieves the body. The uncertainty of the school year has brought anxiety into my life these last few weeks and PMS-ing ain’t making it better. But as I reflect, I decided to align myself with positivity and restore my daily practice. • • • • • #childspose #selfcaremonth #september #restorativeyoga #yogaforbackpain #howtopracticeyoga #blackgirlyoga #blackwomensyogaco #yoga #yogi #vinyasa #yogapractice #blackgirlsdoyoga #yogateacher #yogaforall #yogabody #yogafit #everybodyyoga #balasana

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Dancer’s pose

First on our list of best yoga poses for restoring your inner child is none other than the dancer’s pose. A great one to try regardless of your skill, the dancer pose helps elongate and open up the body in a fun way! From the pose of the Mountain, raise your left hand in the air, reach your right hand behind you, and clasp your right foot, keeping your toes pointing upward. Once there, balance and hold for at least four breaths.

Lion’s breath

Here’s a super fun one, and arguably one of the best yoga poses of all time. The playful lion’s breath, or Simha Pranayama, is a breath control activity that helps release negative energy. To do lion’s breath, simply find a comfortable resting position and place your palms face down either on your knees or mat, with fingers stretching outward. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and as you exhale, open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue, and make a “ha” sound. Repeat 4-6 times. Good luck trying not to laugh with this one! 

Twisted lizard pose

Parivrtta Utthan Pristhasana is a great detoxifying pose to try when you need to slow down for a bit and move with more intention. To practice this pose, find the low lunge pose. Roll onto the outside edge of your right foot, allowing your right knee to move towards the ground. Then, twist from your core, sweeping your right arm back. Bend at your left knee, and reach for your foot. Lastly, pull your foot in toward the body to stretch. Hold for 5 breaths. 

Upward bow

This pose, also called Urdhva Dhanurasana, helps ignite all 7 chakras, helping to keep your body in a state of peaceful harmony. This is a great pose for shifting your perspective, as you literally turn your world upside down! 

After finding the bridge pose, place your hands alongside your ears and press in, lifting your hips up. Draw your shoulders away from your ears, and hold for 5-10 breaths. 

Child’s pose

Of course, no list of inner-child-friendly yoga poses would be complete without mentioning child’s pose. Arguably one of the most important resting poses in yoga, child’s pose (or Balasana) is a great warm up or cool down pose for any level of practice. There are many variations of balasana, so experiment to find a position that’s most comfortable and peaceful for you. 

From promoting balance and stability, to reawakening our inner child, a great yoga practice has so much to offer. Start your free 15-day trial of YogaVibes today to get access to the biggest library of virtual yoga classes on-demand!