Flight of the Crow Pose.A Lesson in Mastering the Raven.Some call it Crow Pose. Some call it Crane Pose. No matter what you call it, it is a cool pose that only looks extremely difficult to do. In this short tutorial I will explain how to get your Crow flying in no time. Of all the poses and movements I am asked about in Prasara yoga, the most requested move is without a doubt Crow Pose. With it's tough appearance, I can understand why so many people want to master this hand balance pose called Kakasana in Sanskrit. If you have seen my Prasara Primer Series DVD you will know that the Floating Crane Pose, the high flying cousin to the Crow Pose, is sort of my signature pose. However, you can't start soaring until you start flying with the Crow Pose. You will find different schools of yoga calling the Crow Pose the Crane Pose and vice versa. To make things simple, I consider the basic difference to be whether or not the arms are straight or bent. For me, while in the Crow Pose the arms are bent with the knees resting on the outstretched elbows as in this great photo of a little girl with a wonderful crow pose. Notice that her head is up (gaze forward) and her rear end down as to make the back flat. Awesome!
In the Crane pose, called Bakasana in Sanskrit, the arms are straight with the knees either very high up on the arms or even tucked in to the arm pits. Here is a photo of yours truly performing the Crane. *Note - In the next part of this series I will discuss how to progress into the Crane Pose. *
Let's Fly!Now that we have the difference between the two poses out of the way let's look at how we can get into a solid Crow Pose. There are a few ways to get into this pose. Let's look at a way that closely resembles the way we got into the Quad Squat or Frog Pose. If you remember from the article, 'Quad Squat Cues', we started off in the Prayer Squat. Remember to place your feet about three fist widths apart. This will help with the transition into Crow Pose. Next, place your hands out in front of you on the floor turning them slightly inwards. Now pull your knees outwards. Think of bringing your heels together yet keep them separated by a width of three fists. By swinging your heels towards each other your knees will automatically go outwards. Bend your elbows so that they are flared out to the side. We will use this position to place our knees up on our elbows. At this point your toes should still be in contact with the floor. Next, it is time to work on finding our balance. Place your gaze about 2 to 3 feet in front of you. Using your toes as springs, shift and rock your weight forward and up upon your upper arms. A hint for beginners is to have your knees closer to your elbows rather than the shoulders when placing your knees on your upper arm. At first it will feel as if you are leaning too far forward, however, you are probably not leaning far enough. Once you feel comfortable with your knees on your arms and leaning forward, raise your toes. Don't try and raise your legs. This will force your rear end up and send you head first into the floor! Not fun. By keeping your gaze forward you will keep from tucking your head and thus your head will act as a counter balance and keep you in the Crow. If you are worried about hitting your head on the floor you can place a folded yoga mat or even a pillow on the ground to help catch you if you fall forward. Once you have raised your toes off of the floor you are in Crow! Simple as that. You will find that this pose is more about balance than strength. Once you find your center point of balance and overcome the fear of leaning forward you will realize that the Crow Pose is way easier than it looks. Work on gradually getting your fingers facing forward and compacting your rear end down while bringing your heels up to your rear. Think of creating a flat 'table' with your back and remember not to tuck your head. So, to recap; 1. Start in Prayer Pose 2. Place your hands on the floor with palms turned slightly inwards. 3. Bend your arms and flare your elbows outwards. 4. Rest your knees against your arms while keeping your toes on the ground. 5. Set your gaze about 2 to 3 feet in front of you. Don't tuck your head! 6. Rock yourself forward and raise your toes up off of the floor. 7. Hold and savor your flight of the Crow! In the next yoga-for-men.com article we will keep it in the bird family and learn to soar with the Crane. See ya next time on the mat! Return To Yoga-For-Men.com Home Page
|
