Yoga Pose of the Week: Bakasana or Crow Pose

Yoga Pose of the week

Welcome to Yoga Pose of the Week.

This week we are focusing on Crow Pose or Bakasana

Pose type: Arm Balance

Name: Bakasana or Crow Pose

Great pose for All Levels

This posture stretches the hips and groin. It is a great posture to practice to relieve back pain, because it reduces stiffness in the lower back, and helps to create space in the hips.

Benefits

• Tones the abdominal wall

• Improves Mental Focus

• Stretches the chest and all of the muscles of the forearm, back, and inner thighs

• Relieves pain in the Lower back

• Opens the groin and psoas

• Helps strengthen the wrist

Cautions

• Avoid if you have a wrist or shoulder injury, heart problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, or cerebral thrombosis.

To Access this Pose:

1. Starting from a low squat. Spread your fingers nice and wide (think of starfish) and place on the ground in front of you placing them in front of your knees.

Note: You may want to place a pillow in front of you just in case you have a fear of falling.

2. Squeeze your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, and your shins into your armpits as high as possible. Bend your elbows.

Note: You may place your feet on blocks to help you gain extra inches onto your armpits.

3. Raise your glutes up while lifting up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward, taking the weight of your torso onto the back of the upper arms until you can lift one foot off the ground.

4. Keep your gaze forward and lift the other foot of the ground.

5. Remember to breathe and try to hold this pose as long as possible.

Beginner Tips:

Worry less about straightening your arms. Keep your arms bent as much as needed and think about using your triceps as a table for your knees. Try lifting one foot up at a time.

Intermediate Tips:

Focus on pulling your knees into your armpits and straightening your arms. Engage through your core completely and use abdominal strength to pull knees higher and the heels closer to your tailbone.

Advanced Tips:

Engage the abdominal wall and broaden through the back. Find additional strength to begin to pull the knees off the back of the triceps and hover the body without knee support. Exit into Chatauranga Dandasana

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In order to get here, you need a steady and consistent practice. If you slide over to the next image. You will see that my downward facing dog needed a lot of work. Back when I started my practice in 2014 I had tight hamstrings amongst other things. Over time I saw improvements and now this is where I am today.

Try this mini crow pose drill

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About the Author:

Hey, Kenya here your new yoga bestie! Allow me to introduce myself. I am a Certified Yoga Coach who loves helping busy moms to create more balance in their lives while reducing stress by practicing yoga on and off the mat. In addition to raising two kids, I am also a Course Creator, Author and Podcast host of "From My Mat to Yours" (available anywhere you listen to your podcast) Want to work with me? Click here to check out how.