Happy Baby

by Cheng-Ling Chen — January 3, 2008

My friend has an adorable 4-month old daughter named Kate, who smiles more than she cries. Kate finds joy in all sorts of things - being tickled, grabbing dangling toys, and jumping up and down while being held. Her most recent nickname is The Velociraptor, for the high-pitched, jolly noises she likes to make.

I noticed recently that one of The Velociraptor's favorite things is to have her diaper changed. As soon as her mommy lays her down and unpins her bottoms, Kate lifts her legs high up into the air and smiles brightly. Watching her take on this instinctive position, I realized why the yoga pose is called the Happy Baby.

Here's how we adults practice being happy babies:

1. Lying down on your back, bend the knees into the chest.
2. Holding onto the outer edges of the feet, open the knees and bring them towards the armpits.
3. Position the ankles so that they are directly above the knees. The shins should be perpendicular to the floor.
4. Flex the feet and push the knees further down.

Keeping your chest open and limbs active, take a few breaths. Then rock gently from side to side and forward and back. The Happy Baby pose is great for releasing the lower back and stretching the hamstrings. It also warms up the spine.

Give your adult self a break. Practice Happy Baby. Breathe. Laugh even. Remember how it was when everything was new and vibrant. For just a few moments, enjoy the feeling of being supported by the floor without a care in the world. Realize that perhaps if you allow yourself, you could be a Happy Baby more often.