sassyyogi:

Crow Pose (Bakasana)

*before you start, you might want to get a small cushion or a towel and place it right in front of you as a ‘crashing pad’, so that it helps to cushion if you accidentally lose balance!*

1. Start off in a hindi squat.

• With your feet pointed around 45 degrees towards the side, your feet hip distance apart, slowly squat down in between and make sure that your feet is flat on the ground.
• Put your hands in a prayer position, and make use of your elbows to press against your knees, such that your chest is open towards the front. 
• You should feel a slight pinching/tension on your hips. This is perfectly normal, as this is a hip-opening pose. 
• Feel free to stay here as long as you want, allowing gravity to pull your bum towards the ground. 
• Continue to breathe deeply, and be sure not to let your back round and chest collapse. 

2. After that, place your hands right in front of you. Make sure that your fingers are spread open and are pressing firmly to the ground. Gently bend your elbow, and with your feet coming to a tip-toe, place your knees on your triceps. 

Make sure that your gaze is slightly forward, and keep your spine straight and do not round your back. 

3. Gradually tip your body forward, and try to lift one feet up (left or right feet depending on which one you feel more comfortable doing). Bend your elbow so that your triceps act as a “shelf” for you to place your knees on. 

Do not be afraid to fall! This might feel a bit daunting as it might feel that you are coming off balance, but you really need to shift your weight forward, engage your core muscles, so that you can balance on your arms. Continue practicing this until you are comfortable with shifting your weight forward into the pose. 

4. Once you feel pretty stable with lifting 1 feet up, gradually lift the other feet up while making sure that your other feet is still in mid air. 

Engage your core muscles, bend your elbows so that your knees can place itself on your triceps, and make sure that your gaze is on the floor. Do not be afraid to lose your balance, you need to be able to tip forward in order to balance on your arms entirely.

Once you are able to lift both your feet, shift your feet towards each other, big toes to kiss, and stay in this pose for as long as you can. 

Remember (CAUTION):

• Always listen to your body! If your wrists hurt or if you don’t feel ready, do not force yourself into the pose.
• Always remember to continue breathing even while getting into the pose, this will certainly help to release some tension in your body. 
• Make use of your ‘crashing pad’ so that you won’t hurt yourself in the case where you fall on your face <: Don’t be afraid to fall, but at the same time, please stay safe! 

Benefits:

• Strengthens your upper body and arms
• Strengthens your core muscles
• Improves your focus and calms your mind