Bakasana: Crow Pose

a little crow before bed.

Crow pose is a deeply satisfying asana that falls into the arm balance category.  If your alignment is set up correctly, the body weight is completely, effortlessly supported and the pose can be held for as long as you want.   This pose strengthens the wrists, tones the arms and forces you to engage the core.  It improves your balance and insures that you can support your own weight.

To come into crow pose stand with you feet mat distance and bend you knees, coming into a squat.  Place you hands shoulder distance apart and spread your fingers to create a strong, steady base for the pose.  Root down through your hands by pressing the entire palm down into the floor.  Place the knees on the backs of the arms, lifting the hips to get the knees as close to the armpits as possible.  Squeeze the knees together, so that they don’t slip off the arms and the body becomes tight and compact.  Move your weight forward (more forward then you think… beginners, put a blanket on the floor in front of you so you won’t be scared of falling forward onto your face).  With the weight moving forward, as the forearms become perpendicular to the floor and lift one foot up at a time, coming into the balance.  Engaging moolabandha and uddihyana bandha helps lift you up, and take some of the weight out of the arms.  Give it a try!

a little crow in a little park.