Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Crow Pose


Crow Pose is something we all did with ease as kids, but as we get older, especially if we carry a little extra weight (ahem) it gets tougher!    
                                
It's a good idea to place a cushion or folded blanket under your face if you are new to the pose or haven't done it for awhile, because there's a very good chance you will nose-dive at least once, and it could hurt your neck.
When you tilt forward from the Squat, you might place your knees on the backs of your arms, or outside the arms as above, and squeeze the arms with your legs.
If your arms are weak, prepare for the pose by keeping your feet on the floor and rocking your weight onto your hands and back onto your feet again several times, letting this be your Crow until you get stronger. Eventually you will feel when it is right to lift the feet for a short hold. Do other arm strengtheners, like Downward Dog to Upper Dog, back and forth (Danda), Side Lifts, Inclined Plane, and maybe even Handstand with your feet against a wall. Arm strength builds fairly quickly with regular practice.

A similar pose, called Crane, has the legs coming forward in a straight position as you "sit" your legs on the upper arms.  I can't do it anymore,because my arm strength hasn't kept up with my bootie size, but I enjoyed it much more than Crow, back when I could do it!
When you squat, position your arms inside the legs, palms on the floor, fingers pointing back, and as you slowly sit in the air, supported on your arms, the legs stretch out off the floor, one at a time. Picture the pose above, only sitting a little more upright, legs stretched forward, balanced on your arms, with fingers pointing the other direction.

Have fun with arm balances, but remember to take them slowly to avoid injury!

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