8 Child's Pose Variations to Deepen the Stretch
Child’s Pose can be more than an opening warm-up or a casual transition between yoga poses. There are a variety of ways to add an additional stretch or modify this shape to set the tone for later poses and prepare for more challenging stretches to come. Try these Child’s Pose variations to add an extra layer of depth, opening, and exploration in your personal yoga practice or in the yoga classes you teach.
Wide Knee Child’s Pose
Start in your Child’s Pose but bring your knees out wide and feet together. This variation will give you a nice stretch in your hips and back.
2. Child’s Pose on Blocks
Rest your hands or forearms on blocks in Child’s Pose to increase the opening in your upper body.
3. Child's Pose Tricep Stretch
From your Child’s Pose with your arms stretched in front of you, press your palms together and bring your thumbs to the base of your neck. You’ll feel sensation along the back line of your arms. To deepen further, add blocks underneath your arms.
4. Child's Pose with Bolster
Lay your chest on top of a bolster in Child’s Pose for a supportive, restorative feel. You can also place the bolster under your thighs or between your legs for support.
5. Thread the Needle Child's Pose
(Child’s Pose Twist)
From Wide Knee Child’s Pose with your arms straight in front of you, keep your right arm reaching forward and thread your left arm underneath your right arm, reaching your left arm out to the right. Rest on your left cheek and left shoulder while rotating your chest to the right for a twist. Repeat on the other side.
6. Child's Pose Side Stretch
Keep your body in the Child’s Pose position but stretch your arms over to the right. Drop your shoulders down and stack your palms to deepen. Switch sides.
7. Child's Pose With Bind
From Child’s Pose, reach your arms behind your back and interlace your fingers. Reach your arms up to the sky as you rest the tip of your forehead down.
8. Active Child's Pose
In your Child’s Pose, reach your arms as far forward as they can go until your elbows lift off the ground. Come up on to your fingertips and tiptoe your fingers forward until you feel an upper body stretch.
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