Hindolasana (Baby Cradle Pose): Basics, Steps, Benefits & More
Before beginning any yoga practice, make sure you warm up your body with a number of loosening or warm-up exercises known as Sukshma Vyayam. The reason for warming up, it will warm up the whole body and keep you ready for intense exercises. Hindolasana or Baby Cradle Pose is a warm-up exercise that starts with the feet, slowly rotating the ankles, knees, arms, and hip muscles to move your body and keep you safe from injury.
Tulasana Basics
| Sanskrit Pronunciation | Hindolasana ( HIN-DOH-LAH-sah-nah) |
| Meaning | Hindola means a swinging cradle Asana means pose or posture |
| Pose Type | Seated |
| Pose Level | Beginner |
| Style of yoga | – |
| Other Names | Baby Cradle Pose, Seated Cradle |
| Stretches | The hamstrings, pelvic floor muscles, groins, and gluteus maximus muscles |
| Strengthening | The lower part of your body |
| Duration | 30 second to 3 minutes |
Meaning
Hindolasana’s name comes from the Sanskrit Hindola, which means “swinging cradle” or “hammock,” and asana, which is a “posture” or “pose.”
This pose is also known as leg cradle pose, rock the baby pose, seated cradle pose, knee rocking pose.
Baby Cradle Pose A simple seated hip opener that primarily stretches the lower body, hamstrings, pelvic floor muscles, groin, and gluteus maximus muscles. It also serves as a starting pose for more advanced seated hip-openers and is also part of a creative yoga sequence for kids.
Hindolasana is popularly known as Seated Cradle as in this pose the yogi takes the shape like a swinging cradle.
To practice the pose, the yogi sits in a cross-legged position and then raises the top leg and cradles the lower leg like a mother would hold a baby with arms.
The pose acts as a preparatory asana for more advanced seated hip-openers, such as padmasana (lotus pose), Ardha-kapotasana (half-pigeon pose), gomukhasana (cow face pose), and their variations.
Practice Guide For Tulasana Yoga (Seated Cradle)
The Practice Guide to Perform Hindolasana serves as a valuable resource for yoga enthusiasts seeking to advance their practice, offering a structured and detailed approach to mastering this asana.
Preparatory Poses
Steps To Do Seated Cradle (Hindolasana)
- For Cradle Pose, first, of all sit straight in Sukhasana (easy pose). and keep your spine erect with your legs crossed.
- Bring your left leg closer to your chest, draw the left knee knee to the side as you can. The left knee keeps outside of the chest.
- Bring your hands under your foot, cradle your foot and lower shin.
- Both hands should hold your left leg closer to the chest.
- Now slowly start cradling swinging your left leg inward and outward with both hands as if you were swinging a baby.
- Exhale, and draw your shin and leg in toward your torso. Press the big toe of your left foot into your right forearm just above the elbow.
- As you inhale, lengthen your spine and roll your shoulders back. Take 8-10 breaths then switch sides.
Hindoloasana Variation
lift both legs holding your heels with your palms from the inside. And open them out facing the feet forward, and maintain a 90-degree angle between the knee and the ankle.
Hindoloasana Variation 2
As a variation to the previous pose, keep your feet up and hold the opposite foot with your hands. Maintain your balance in this pose and continue to sit with your back straight looking up and ahead.
Follow-up Poses
Benefits of Hindolasana
- Hindolasana stretches the muscles in the lower parts of the body, which eliminates the pain of your knees and also strengthens them.
- Regular practice of this asana strengthens our digestive system and also stimulates the digestive functions. Along with this, it is also comfortable for other stomach problems like constipation, indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal cramps etc.
- It is beneficial for women in many ways. It is beneficial for getting rid of problems like menopause (stop of menstruation) as well as improves the reproductive systems significantly.
- Lower body movements release tension in your lower body. And there is flexibility in the muscles of the hips, knees, thighs and calves.
- The sidewise movements of Hindolasana stretch your spine and enhance its function.
- The Hindolasana pose requires your lower body to release tension and stiffness. Hence it can be practiced even with severe back pain as this asana is safe for the back.
Conclusion
Beginner poses like the Hindolasana is very much necessary to make your body warm up. It is often used as hip opening postures and leg stretches. A simple seated hip opener that is useful for stretching and strengthening the lower part of your body.
