“If you fall, I’ll be there” – Mat
Crow Pose, or Bakasana, is a fabulous arm balance with which you could start your arm balance journey. It builds strength, body awareness, balance, but most of all, it builds trust in your own power. Once we learn to get our feet off the floor, we learn to trust our balance and our strength, which could lead us on from Crow Pose to a whole host of arm balances such as Side Crow Pose, Flying Pigeon Pose, or even in to Inversion postures. Crow Pose really is a gateway into a whole host of Yoga postures, it helps us step into our power to develop and grow!
Crow Pose, or Bakasana, will strengthen our wrists, arms, shoulders, core and hips. Our balance improves and our confidence grows too!
If you have wrist, arm or shoulder injuries, carpel tunnel syndrome or are pregnant, it’s best to avoid practicing this posture.
Preparatory Poses
Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog (above)
Phalakasana – Plank Pose (above)
Chaturanga Dandasana – Four Limbed Staff Pose (above)
Virabhadrasana 1 – Warrior 1 (above)
Virabhadrasana 3 – Warrior 3 (above)
Step by Step Guide
Step One
From Downward Facing Dog, start to walk your feet towards your hands, bending your knees on the way there. Land your feet wide so that you can start to place your knees in your armpits. Let your knees rest as high as possible in the hinge of your armpits.
Step Two
From here, fire up the muscles on the inner thighs, the front of your hips and the base of your belly so that you can feel the strength recruited there will help to keep your knees in place. Then start to slowly take the weight forward, into your hands.
Step Three
If you’re new to the arm balance, just try lifting one foot, placing it down and then lifting the other. This will help you get used to the balancing aspect. If you feel confident, let the weight gradually move more into the palms of the hands so that you can float both feet off the floor. Note the word float, and not jump! Use the strength in your legs, hips and belly to lift your feet instead of jumping.
Step Four
Once feet are lifted, bring the bases of the big toes to touching, lengthen your chest forwards and lift your heels closer towards your buttocks. Hold this for up to 6 rounds of breath. As you practice more and start to feel more confident, start to extend your arms. This will require more leg, hip and core strength to keep your knees raised.
Step Five
To exit the pose, carefully land the feet below and rest in Adho Mukha Virasana.
