Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
A pose on your back with the knees drawn toward the armpits and the hands holding the feet that stretches the inner thighs and hips.
Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana) is a pose on your back with your knees drawn toward your armpits and your hands holding your feet. It stretches the inner thighs, glutes, and hips while the floor supports your back. Hold it 30 to 60 seconds. Skip it in later pregnancy, and ask your clinician first after a hip replacement or knee injury.
| Sanskrit name | Ananda Balasana |
|---|---|
| Category | Poses |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Position | Lying on your back |
| How long to hold | 30–60 seconds |
| Kneeling, floor, wrists | No kneeling · On the floor · Little or no weight on the hands |
| Body areas | Inner thighs, Hips, Glutes, Hamstrings |
| Primary benefit | Stretches the inner thighs, glutes, and hips |
| Muscles worked | Inner thighs (adductors), Glutes (gluteus maximus), Hamstrings, Lower back (erector spinae) |
| Breathing | Breathe slowly through the nose; let the hips and lower back soften on each exhale |
| Safe for seniors | No |
| Contraindications | Pregnancy, especially later on: long periods on your back aren't advised, Hip replacement, unless your surgeon has cleared deep hip bending, Knee injury that hurts with deep bending, Neck pain when holding the feet (hold the thighs and rest your head on a blanket) |
What is Happy Baby?
Happy Baby is a pose done on your back with your knees drawn toward your armpits and your hands holding your feet, soles facing the ceiling. The name comes from the way babies often lie on their backs and grab their feet. In Sanskrit it's Ananda Balasana.
The pose stretches the inner thighs, the glutes, and the hips in deep flexion, with a mild stretch for the lower back as it rests on the floor. Holding the feet takes a little arm effort, but because the floor supports your back and head, the pose is mostly passive. Hip mobility varies a lot from person to person, so many beginners hold their shins, ankles, or the backs of their thighs instead of their feet.
It's typically used near the end of a practice as a hip stretch before twists and Corpse Pose, or as a short release after seated poses. Holds of 30 to 60 seconds are common, and gently rocking side to side is optional. Half Happy Baby, with one leg at a time, is an easier starting point and lets you feel each hip separately.
The benefit is simple: a comfortable hip and inner-thigh stretch with your back supported. The pose isn't right for everyone, though. Long periods lying on your back aren't advised during pregnancy, and anyone with a hip replacement or a knee injury should check with their clinician before doing deep hip bending like this.
Step-by-step instructions
- Lie on your back and hug your knees toward your chest.
- Open your knees a little wider than your torso and draw them toward your armpits.
- Stack your ankles over your knees so your shins point up and the soles of your feet face the ceiling.
- Hold the outer edges of your feet, or your ankles, your shins, or a strap over each foot.
- Rest your head, shoulders, and lower back on the floor.
- Gently draw your knees toward the floor, or rock slowly from side to side.
- After 30 to 60 seconds, let go of your feet and lower them to the floor.
Easier and harder versions
Easier
Half Happy Baby
Keep one foot on the floor with the knee bent, and draw just the other knee toward your armpit. Hold the foot, shin, or back of the thigh, then switch sides.
Happy Baby with a strap
Loop a strap over the sole of each foot and hold the ends, or hold the backs of your thighs. Rest your head on a folded blanket so it stays down.
Standard
Happy Baby
Follow the steps above and hold for 30–60 seconds.
Tips & modifications
- Beginner: Hold the backs of your thighs or your shins instead of your feet. Reaching for the feet often lifts the head and shoulders off the floor.
- Common mistake: Pulling so hard that your tailbone and lower back curl up off the floor. Ease off until the back of your pelvis rests heavy on the mat.
- Easier or harder: Try Half Happy Baby: keep one foot on the floor with the knee bent and draw just one knee up at a time.
- Easier or harder: Loop a strap over each foot if you can't reach comfortably, and rest your head on a folded blanket.
- Safety: If you've had a hip replacement, ask your surgeon or physical therapist before doing deep hip bending poses like this one.
Safety
If you have any of the contraindications listed above, or a health condition, talk to your doctor before practicing. Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, or numbness. Use props and modifications as needed, especially if you are 50+ or new to yoga.