How to do Happy Baby and Plough Pose/Yoga

In this video certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor and BJJ Brown Belt Coach Marcia offers tips on how to do happy baby and plough pose to help alleviate the discomfort that being stack passed can bring. Getting your feet put over your head and having someone lay weight into it can be not only uncomfortable but sometimes impossible for people with tight hips, hamstrings and lower back issues. This can cause injuries as well as long time back problems. Happy baby or Anada Balasana is an easy stretch that everyone can do and benefit from. By focusing on keeping the spine long and the back of the head on the floor, the back is able to relax and find a sense of ease while the hips and hamstrings are stretched ched. This pose when done this way will help open the shoulders and chest which is essential for not feeling compressed when the knees are forced into the face or chest. Halasana or plough can be a little more intermediate to advanced but Marcia offers a variation of using a chair or wall for your feet if they cannot touch the floor. Focusing on keeping the spine straight and lifting the hips will help develop strength and stability. Learning to be comfortable in this position will not only benefit your Jiu-Jitsu but also has a calming effect on the mind. This pose can reduce stress and fatigue if practiced for longer holds and on a regular basis. Do not practice if you are experiencing diarrhea, menstruation, or neck injury. Pregnant ladies should practice this pose only if you are experienced using the modifications later into the pregnancy.