Similar to the child's pose of hatha yoga, bikram yoga's rabbit pose is a forward bend used for relaxation and a gentle stretch. However, the low-impact nature of the posture doesn't mean you can skimp on form and focus. This posture is as challenging to do correctly as many seemingly more difficult postures.
Bikram Yoga Basics
Bikram yoga, also called "hot yoga," uses many of the same concepts and postures as other styles of yoga. The main difference is in the practice environment. While other forms of yoga are practiced at room temperature, bikram yoga sessions are held in rooms heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity of 40 percent or more. This sauna-like environment is intended to loosen muscles for greater flexibility, and to purge toxins by increasing how much participants sweat.
Child Pose
Rabbit pose isn't just similar to child pose, you enter it by beginning in child pose. Enter child pose by kneeling on the floor with your big toes together and your rear on your heels. Separate your knees as far as possible, then exhale as you fold yourself over until your torso is parallel to the floor. Lay your arms on the ground, palms up, lying along your legs. Relax your shoulders to let them fall toward the floor.
Rabbit Pose
Beginning in child pose, you enter rabbit pose by first gripping your heels with your hands. Using that leverage, you pop your hips upward until your thighs are perpendicular to the ground and simultaneously set the crown of your head on the floor. Fold further at the hips to bring your crown as close as possible to your knees and your chest as close as possible to your thighs. Hold yourself in that position for six to eight breaths before relaxing back into child pose.
Benefits
At the most basic level, rabbit pose strengthens and improves flexibility in your abdomen, back and neck. This can help you improve posture, and relieve back and hip pains that come from poor body alignment. Some practitioners also claim that it helps improve digestion and immune function by maximizing spinal health and stimulating the thymus gland.
References
- Bikram Yoga Portsmouth: Rabbit Pose
- Health Kicker: Six Kinds of Yoga
- Joy of Yoga: Rabbit Pose
- "Yoga For a New Age"; Bob Smith; 1986
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