Happy Baby Pose anatomy
Happy Baby Pose · Ananda Balasana · Tư thế em bé hạnh phúc
Happy Baby Pose mainly works biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi; it stretches adductors, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, erector spinae; trapezius stabilize.
Opening the 3D model…
Lie on your back, draw the knees toward the armpits with the shins vertical and the soles facing the ceiling, and hold the inner edges of the feet with the arms inside the knees. The adductors, gluteus maximus, and lower back are stretched.
Muscles in this pose
Working (contracting): Biceps brachii, Latissimus dorsi
Stretching: Adductors, Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings, Erector spinae, Multifidus, Quadratus lumborum
Stabilizing: Trapezius
Why these muscles work or stretch
- Biceps brachii · Working (contracting): Pulls the feet down
- Adductors · Stretching: Knees open wide toward the armpits
- Gluteus maximus · Stretching: Deep hip flexion
- Hamstrings · Stretching: Moderate stretch, especially the inner hamstrings
- Erector spinae · Stretching: Mainly in the lumbar region
- Trapezius · Stabilizing: Shoulders rest on the floor
Practice cues
- Pull the feet down with your hands as the feet press up
- Keep the sacrum on the floor; don't curl the hips up
- Rock gently side to side to release the back
Benefits
- Stretches the adductors, gluteus maximus and hamstrings
- Gently lengthens the lower back with the sacrum on the floor
- Improves hip mobility in flexion
- Helps release tension; suits the end of a practice
Cautions / contraindications
- Take care with knee or hip injuries
- Go gently with neck pain; rest the head on a thin blanket
- After the first trimester of pregnancy, avoid lying on the back for long
Easier variations
- Hold the backs of the thighs or the shins instead of the feet
- Loop straps around the soles, or do one leg at a time
General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.
Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 18/10/2026
How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)
Related poses
- Knees-to-Chest Pose Apanasana
- Hand-Under-Foot Pose Padahastasana
- Wide-Legged Forward Bend Prasarita Padottanasana
- Head-to-Knee Forward Bend Janu Sirsasana
- Tortoise Pose Kurmasana
- One-Legged Wind-Relieving Pose Eka Pada Pavanamuktasana
A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)