Happy baby pose, also known as Ananda Balasana, is a favorite yoga pose for many. It uses gravity to open your hips, stretching some tight back muscles, the piriformis, and the psoas. If your SI joint (sacrum) is out of place, stretching these muscles can help it realign.

Another reason why Happy baby pose is so popular is because you can work one leg at a time. For people with hip issues, this is incredibly helpful because you can work each side at a different level. This allows you to appropriately stretch each side and avoid injury.

Single Leg Happy Baby Pose

1. Use ujjayi breathing.
2. Begin on your back with your knees bent, heels in line just outside the SITs bones. This means that your feet are a little bit wider than normal.
3. Let your low back relax toward the mat.
4. Keeping your knee bent, lift your right leg. The sole of your foot should be toward the ceiling.
5. Reach your right arm along the inside of your thigh, cross your shin, and grab the outside edge of your right foot.
6. Externally rotate from the right hip to allow your thigh and knee to come closer to the ground.
7. From your core, create a gentle rocking motion. Keep your left foot grounded as you gently rock, allowing your right thigh to come closer and closer to the floor.
8. Do this for 5-8 breaths. Come back to center, release your right hand, lower your right leg, and follow steps 3-7 for the left side.
9. When you finish both sides, come back to center, release your left hand, lower your left leg. If this seems sufficient, you’re done. However, if you’d like, you can also do the full Happy baby pose.

Happy Baby Pose

1. Use ujjayi breathing.
2. Begin on your back with your knees bent, heels in line just outside the SITs bones. This means that your feet are a little bit wider than normal.
3. Let your low back relax toward the mat.
4. Keeping your knee bent, lift your right leg. The sole of your foot should be toward the ceiling.
5. Reach your right arm along the inside of your thigh, cross your shin, and grab the outside edge of your right foot.
6. Externally rotate from the right hip to allow your thigh and knee to come closer to the ground.
7. Keeping your knee bent, lift your left leg. The sole of your foot should be toward the ceiling.
8. Reach your left arm along the inside of your thigh, cross your shin, and grab the outside edge of your left foot.
9. Externally rotate from the left hip to allow your thigh and knee to come closer to the ground.
10. From your core, create a gentle rocking motion. As you rock from side to side, allow your thighs to come closer and closer to the ground.
11. Do this for 5-8 breaths. Come back to center, release your hands, and lower one leg at a time.

Happy Baby Pose Video

Here is a video for visual learners.

What is your favorite way to release your SI joint? Let us know in the comments below.

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