Karen Watson Reeves chose the Ohio Club as the setting for Baby Grasshopper Pose. Photo by Fred Padilla.
By Karen Watson Reeves
[Contributor’s note: 2025 is the year we celebrate 12 years as The Yoga Place, and this calendar year, the setting for each month’s pose will be a business in our town that has exhibited “stay power.”]
Baby Grasshopper Pose is a lighter variation of Grasshopper Pose, which is a full arm balance requiring a large amount of hip opening and twisting flexibility. Grasshopper Pose is quite challenging for me!
Even if Baby Hopper looks formidable, it is a more accessible arm balance pose compared to other arm balances, because it is performed closer to the ground, making it less intimidating for beginners. It is classified as a full-body workout, engaging multiple muscle groups and promoting overall strength and flexibility.
Specifically, the ankles, wrists, back muscles, thighs, shoulders, arms, and legs are strengthened. The rib cage is opened, allowing deeper breath and improving the functioning of the respiratory system. Range of motion is improved in the hips, shoulders, and spine. Body awareness, posture, and joint mobility are enhanced. Hamstrings, outer hips, and hip flexors are stretched. Core strength and stability are increased.
And because any balance pose requires a great deal of concentration, there are mental benefits also: a boost in self-confidence and focus; mental clarity; stronger mind-body connection; reduced stress and tension.
The pose may look difficult and demanding, but it is quite attainable for many practitioners. It is “baby” grasshopper, and any challenging pose (or other task for that matter) begins with baby steps, that first attempt.
I include this posture in my sequence fairly regularly, and it’s both fun to practice and enjoyable as an instructor to see students give it a try! You know the adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” Perseverance, not giving up – a good life lesson on and off the yoga mat.
{The Ohio Club, 336 Central Avenue, opened in 1905 and is noted as the oldest bar in state history.}
Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. Please find more information about her studio and her schedule of classes at www.theyogaplacehs.com.
