fitnessloveaffair:

urbanyogagirl:

Ananda Balsana (Happy Baby Pose)

1. Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly.
2. Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
3. Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
4. Coax the thighs in toward your torso and down toward the floor as you lengthen the spine—release your tail bone toward the floor and lengthen the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
5. Hold the pose steadily for 30 seconds to one minute. Then release the feet back to the floor with an exhale and rest for a few breaths.

Benefits:

• Gently stretches the inner groins and the back spine 
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue

filtrationandmotivation (photo credit)

This is my favorite pose to release tension in the lower back, it feels really good if you rock side to side.