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What is the crow pose?
The Crow pose is an arm-balancing posture in yoga. Also known as kakasana, the crow pose is a transitional posture used in many yoga practices as it symbolizes progress. Practicing crow has many benefits, including strengthening the arms, shoulders, and wrists while improving balance and concentration. This fun pose can be achieved by beginners and experts alike with the right foundations.
Crane pose, or bakasana, is often confused with crow as they’re both arm-balancing postures. Crow requires bent elbows, whereas crane uses straight arms with a slight bend.
The terms are often intermixed in the yoga community, but the crow pose’s traditional Sanskrit name is kakasana.
How to Do Crow Pose
1. Place your palms firmly on the mat about shoulder-width apart.Start on your hands and knees, planting your hands on the mat in front of you. Curl your toes under with your knees facing the front of your mat for a variation of tabletop pose.
If this foundation doesn’t work for you, try starting in garland pose or malasana. Squat down and put your hands together in Anjali Mudra. Press your elbows against your knees while keeping your back straight.
Spread your fingers wide as this will provide more stability.
2. Fix your gaze straight ahead.Where you look plays a big part in your alignment and balance. Keep your back straight by looking ahead. This will most likely be a spot on your mat or floor that’s right about your hands.
Avoid craning your neck to look straight ahead or back. The key is to make sure your neck is straight and relaxed.
Gaze and concentration are referred to as drishti in yoga.
3.Lift your hips up and shift your weight forward.Slowly move your weight to your hands while you tilt your chest forward, sitting bones lifting toward the sky. You may find yourself standing on your tiptoes to achieve this.
Keep your elbows and knees bent while doing this.
4. Place your knees on your triceps.To move into kakasana, roll onto the tips of your toes and try to position your knees onto the backs of your arms. Think of your bent arms like a shelf, and imagine you’re trying to get your knees into your armpits.
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6. Lift one foot off the ground and then the other.Keep your weight on your hands, push your knees and triceps against each other, and lift one foot. Feel it out and then lift the other—you’re soaring!
For first-timers, lifting both feet off the ground can be intimidating, so try the tapping technique. Practice lifting one foot by bringing it up and back down before repeating on the other side.
This part of the pose is often called hovering.
7. Bring your feet up towards your bum and hold the pose.Point your toes, and try touching your big toes together while tucking them as close to your bum as possible. Focus on your breath, keep your gaze forward, and hold the pose for as long as you can.
You may shake when first trying the posture, and that’s completely normal—it means you’re building muscle!
Don’t be afraid to take breaks if you need to. The more you practice, the longer you’ll be able to hold the pose.
8. Put your feet on the floor and shift your weight back.Congratulations! You’ve successfully tried crow pose! Now, you can either lower back to your starting position, whether it be a tabletop pose or squat, or continue your practice by flowing into another pose (yogis call this a vinyasa).
See you in the next article. And I’ll tell you about two other ways to learn a crow’s pose differently.😎
Artemus Vazhui