Hindolasana or Cradle Pose

Hindolasana at a Glance

Introduction

Hindolasana is a simple seated hip opener with one leg extended. The other leg is bent and cradle toward the chest. Hindolasana helps clear and calm your mind and improve flexibility and balance. The pose is also called the rock the baby or baby cradle pose. An easy pose that gently stretches the hamstrings, pelvic floor, groin, and glutes.

Chakras

The pose helps to stimulate the Swadhishthana chakra and Muladhara chakra. The chakras are associated with sexuality, creativity, composure, and groundedness. Opening these chakras can enhance creative expression, emotional balance, and sensual pleasure.

Philosophy

Hindolasana helps to relax and rejuvenate the body and mind by opening the hips and stimulating the sacral chakra. It is a part of the ancient Indian practice of yoga, which aims to harmonize individuals with the universe.

How to Do Hindolasana?
Follow the Step-by-Step Procedure

• Sit in dandasana (Staff Pose) as the starting pose. Press your hands to the floor to lengthen your spine.
• Inhale, exhale and bring the right leg with the right knee towards the chest.
• Place the right leg inside the left elbow, wrap the right arm around the leg like a cradle and clasp the hands.
• Bring the leg towards the chest and start back-and-forth movements with deep breathing.
• Exhaling releases the pose. Switch sides and repeat.

Points to remember

• The lifted left leg should be parallel to the floor. Point the toes of your left foot. Keep your ankle square by spreading it evenly on both sides of your ankle.
• Keep your low back in and up. Press the thigh of the right foot, taking care of the right knee, into the floor, keeping the left knee slightly away from your body.
• Exhale and draw the left leg towards the chest. You can press the big toe of your left foot into your right forearm.
• Draw your lower back in and lift from the core of your pelvis, keeping your spine straight.
• The spine has to be kept straight and lengthened throughout the practice.
• For beginners, bend the knee of your lower leg, draw your leg closer to your body and take advice from a good yoga teacher.

What are the Benefits of Hindolasana?

• Opens Pelvic Region: The pose stimulates the digestive and pelvic floor muscles by providing greater flexibility and circulation in the abdominal and hip regions.
• Increases Flexibility: It stretches the hip, thigh, hamstrings, calf, groin, and glutes.
• Strengthens Knees and Abdominal Area: Practicing the pose strengthens the knees and the abdominal muscles.
• Soothes Nervous System: It calms the mind and soothes the nervous system.
• Enhances Mental Focus and Concentration: It increases mental focus and concentration.
• Flexibility and Range of Motion: The pose is a hip opener, so it helps to enhance flexibility and mobility throughout the body.
• Opens Chest: As Hindolasana opens the chest, it helps expand the lungs and maintains normal breathing.
• Level-up Pose: Regular practice of the pose is helpful for more challenging poses like the Compass pose (Surya yantrasana), one-legged insect pose (Eka hasta bhujasana), and shoulder press pose (bhujapidasana).
• Balance and Emotions: As the pose helps relieve stress, it helps to balance emotions.

Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Hindolasana

• Treats hip pain by opening up the lower area.
• Helps with pelvic floor dysfunction due to menopause, childbirth or pregnancy.
• Relieves lower back pain since it opens the lower body.
• It helps in Insomnia as it calms the mind.

Safety and Precautions

• People with these conditions should avoid Hindolasana pose or consult a good healthcare professional before starting the practice:
• Injury or surgery to the hips, knees, lower back, or spine.
• Arthritis of the hip, knees, or spine.
• Piles, pregnancy, or acute osteoarthritis.
• Lack of body breadth coordination or balance issues.
• People with any injury to the hips, knees, lower back, and/or spine should practice warm-up exercises or modify the baby cradle pose.
• People with arthritis of the hips, knees, and spine should practice the baby cradle pose while seated on a cushion or even a chair, with complete guidance from a yoga teacher.

Beginner’s Tips

• The lifted left leg should be parallel to the floor. Point the toes of your left foot. Keep your ankle square by spreading it evenly on both sides of your ankle.
• Keep your low back in and up. Press the thigh of the right foot, taking care of the right knee, into the floor, keeping the left knee slightly away from your body.
• Exhale, and draw your left leg towards the chest. You can press the big toe of your left foot into your right forearm.
• Draw your lower back in and lift from the core of your pelvis keeping your spine straight.
• The spine has to be kept straight and lengthened throughout the practice.
• For beginners, bend the knee of your lower leg draw your leg closer to your body and take advice from a good yoga teacher.

Variations

• After practicing the seated cradle pose on the right side, you can stretch out the right ankle and point it towards the ceiling, with the right hand holding your leg at the knee, calf, ankle and foot. Keep your spine straight and elongated. Hold the pose for a few seconds and switch sides.
• Begin with Sukhasana, twisting your head, neck and shoulders right from the waist to right and left, and keep alternating positions. Look at the back and repeat, increasing the speed with each twist. When you twist, your right and left arms should touch the floor on each side.
• Lie on the floor, bend your knees, and place them on the floor with your legs crossed. Start pressing your right leg away as it opens your hips. Lift the left leg, place your right hand between your left and left hand, and interlace your fingers. Inhaling and exhaling, bring your legs to the chest with your right knee away from your body, and practice for a few breaths. You can also practice the knee rocking pose.

Physical Alignment Principles of Hindolasana

• Start sitting with normal breathing as in Sukhasana or cross-legged position on the floor.
• Lift the upper leg and cradle it in your arms from knee to foot.
• Keep your spine erect and lifted.
• Slowly start cradling swinging, as if you are rocking a baby. The pose opens the hip flexors.

Hindolasana and the Breath

Inhale and exhale, relax. Inhale, get the energy flow in your body and then lift your leg, exhale and relax. Repeat this several times to keep your knee closer to your chest and open your chest. Maintain deep breathing throughout the pose. Keep your head straight and gaze in front. Each inhale focuses on getting the maximum energy for the stretch and each exhale focuses on releasing any tension in the body. Relax in the pose with a few breaths.

Common Mistakes

• Do not cause any strain on your knees.
• Keep your back straight during the pose.
• Maintain deep breaths and do not hold your breath.
• Keep your chest open and shoulders relaxed.
• See that your feet are comfortable on the floor.
• Do not hold your knee suddenly to your chest. Practice a few stretches to open your body.

Modification

• You can rest the leg in the inner elbows and interlock your hands or place them in a prayer position, hands in front of the chest.
• You can also straighten the opposite leg to release tension, as in dandasana (staff pose).

Preparatory Poses

• Hip opening stretches can be used as warm-ups for preparatory poses.
• Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
• Seated Butterfly Pose
• Sitting Swan Pose
• Seated Forward Bend Pose
• Knee rocking pose
• Bound Angle Pose
• Seated cradle pose

Follow-Up Poses

Butterfly Pose (Badha Konasana), Chakki Chalasana, Lotus Pose, Head to Knee pose, Cow Face pose.

Easy Pose variation side bend, Compass Pose, Firelog Pose, One Legged Insect Pose, Heron Pose, Foot Behind the Head Pose, Half Pigeon Pose.

FAQs

What is the rock the baby pose called?

Hindolasana, also called the Cradle Pose, comes from a Sanskrit word that means swinging the cradle or hammock.

What is the Sanskrit word for Baby Cradle Pose?

Hindolasana is the Sanskrit word for Baby Cradle Pose.

Which muscles are involved in Hindolasana?

Gluteus maximus muscles, hamstrings, hips, hips-external pelvic and groin muscles are involved in Hindolasana.

What is the counter pose for Hindolasana?

 Dandasana (Staff Pose) is the counter pose for Hindolasana.

The Bottom Line

Hindolasana is a preparatory pose for advanced hip opening postures like Padmasana and kapotasana (pigeon pose). For those who want better flexibility and balance in advanced seated hip openers with mental clarity and increased energy, Hindolasana is their best yoga pose. The pose helps in both physical and mental improvements. The pose is also called cradle pose Hindolasana. The asana is also good for Peri-menopausal and Menopausal women. The yoga pose is practiced before some meditations to calm the mind. It is a simple seated hip opener pose that is very good for the reproductive and digestive systems. It can be practiced for creative yoga sequences.

Enroll now in our online yoga courses and deepen your practice today! We offer a wide range of certified yoga programs, 200-Hrs RYT Yoga TTC and 300-HRS RYT Yoga TTC and much more.