Seated Forward Fold for Stress Relief + Digestion
/Feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated?
Need to relieve stress or anxiety?
Hips and hamstrings ache from sitting too long?
Soothe Yourself in Seated Forward Fold!
Seated Forward Fold (also called Seated Forward Bend) is a calming pose with tons of benefits for the body and mind. Being on the floor doesn’t mean it’s easy though…this pose provides an intense stretch of the hamstrings and spine!
Even if you have never practiced yoga before, you have probably done Seated Forward Fold. This pose is a universal cool-down for many other physical activities. Let’s bend and stretch together!
The Benefits of Seated Forward Fold Pose for Kids
Seated Forward Fold is a beginner yoga pose that is accessible to yogis of all ages and capability. However, it is common for young children’s hamstrings to tighten and shorten as they increase the amount of time they are sitting at desks rather than playing on the floor. For most adults, this pose is quite challenging.
Like many forward bend poses, there are many seated forward fold benefits.
This seated bend calms the mind and while bringing awareness inward. It helps relieve stress, anxiety, headaches and even mild depression. This pose also stimulates the liver and kidneys while aiding in digestion!
In children’s yoga, we make yoga poses fun by having them represent familiar animals and objects. Speaking of digestion, let’s turn our forward fold into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We settle the nervous system as we spread the ingredients all around our bodies and then squish the pieces of bread together…Yummy!
How To: Seated Forward Fold Pose
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
Press down through the backs of the thighs and extend through your heels, flexing the toes.
Press your palms or fingertips into the floor beside your hips to lengthen the spine.
Draw the navel up and in and lift the bottom ribs away from the hips.
Lean forward from the hip joints, not the waist.
Keep the spine long as the torso bows forward over the legs.
Place hands on shins, ankles, outside of the feet or on the floor alongside the legs.
With each inhale, lift and lengthen the spine, drawing the chest forward.
With each exhale release a little more fully into the forward bend.
Allow the lower belly, ribs and then chest to rest on the tops of the thighs.
Stay in this pose for 5-10 breaths.
To exit, extend the chest forward and inhale as you come up with a long spine.
Tips for Mastering Seated Forward Fold Pose
If you are new to seated forward fold, take it slow. Most of us have tight hips and hamstrings and it might be challenging enough just to sit up straight with legs extended.
Use props or modify as needed…sit on a yoga blanket to create more space at the hips or bend the knees to relieve any hamstring strain. Use a yoga strap around the feet rather than hands.
Do not pull or force your way into a deeper bend but think about lengthening and releasing to deepen the pose.
Avoid locking the knees by engaging the quadriceps. If you tend to hyper-extend at the knee joints, micro-bend the knees in the pose.
Release shoulders away from the ears and soften the shoulder blades down the back.
Relax your jaw, face, and neck as you fold forward. Flutter the lips or sigh to release tension in the jaw, neck and shoulders.
Kid-friendly Seated Forward Fold Pose Variations
Once you feel steady in this pose, you can play with various hand positions. Walk your hands along your legs as you fold forward and then interlace your fingers around the heels. If you have even more depth available you can turn the back of one hand to the heel and hold the wrist.
Encourage children to stay in the forward fold longer by pretending to dive underwater or travel through a tunnel! Try this train activity (one of our favorite transportation yoga poses) to practice forward fold and seated side stretch, plus a fun breathing exercise.
Partner Up For Added Folding Fun
Partner yoga is a great way to build social-emotional (SEL) skills and teach children the value of teamwork. Seated forward fold is a perfect beginner partner pose as both participants are safely on the ground and can learn to communicate and work together in a low-stakes, no-pressure situation.
Start by having partners face each other with the soles of their feet touching.
Partners hold hands or wrists and practice shifting their weight back and forth, like a seesaw.
Each partner takes a turn folding forward while the other partner leans gently back. Stay for a few breaths and then switch.
Once that feels good, try it with both partners folding forward at the same time, holding lower arms or elbows.
Forward bending is one of the four movement directions of the spine - forward, backward, lateral (side bending) and rotation (twists).
To keep our spine healthy we should be move in all four directions throughout the day. However, most of us only ever bend forward and often from the waist rather than the hips, straining our lower back.
Practicing both seated and standing forward fold is a great way we can re-train ourselves to bend forward properly while regaining or maintaining flexibility of the hips and hamstrings.
Try this fun partner sequence to move the spine in all four directions:
Start sitting back to back with your partner with legs crossed.
Take a few moments to notice your own breathing and also feel your partner breathing. Your breath rhythm may even synch up naturally.
Breathe in and raise arms up. Breathe out and lower arms down.
Breathe in and raise arms up. Breathe out and bend together to the same side, bringing that hand to the floor for stability and reaching the other hand overhead. Stay for a few breaths.
Breathe in to come back up to center and switch to the other side.
Breathe in arms up. Breathe out and twist to the right, bringing your right hand to your partner’s left knee and your left hand to your right knee. Stay there for a few breaths.
Breathe in, arms up to center and twist to the other side.
Extend your legs. Breathe in to lengthen your spine. Breathe out as one partner folds forward, and the other partner releases into a supported backbend.
Stay for a few breaths and then switch.
Make sure whenever you are doing partner yoga poses, you have established respect for one another and have a word partners can use to safely end and exit the pose. This will ensure everyone feels safe while practicing together.
Though Seated Forward Fold may feel intense, remember the more you relax into the pose, the more naturally your body will open up over time. With daily practice everyone receives the benefits of this pose, no matter how far forward you fold.
Elevate Your Curriculum
Did you know Yo Re Mi offers an array of children's musical yoga and mindfulness resources for your school? You can:
- Download our app for exclusive videos and fun activities -- with no ads!
- Request a professional development workshop
- Join a 30-hour certified kids yoga teacher training
- Inquire about bringing the Yo Re Mi program to your students
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