Yoga Arm Balance Series #1,--Crane and Crow pose
I've decided to share the different types of yoga arm balancing poses I know. Each day I'll share pictures of the pose with a short description and I'll rank difficulty level for me--1 being easy and 10 being I can barely do the pose. The first pose I'll introduce is called crane pose or "bakasana" in sanskrit. Crane is one of the more basic arm balances but this version is a bit harder (maybe a difficulty level 3 for me with my arms straight and my shins parallel to the floor). This version requires a bit more core strength than crow pose which I've shown after the pictures of crane.
CRANE POSE
Crane is a harder expression of the pose as you can see my arms are straight, my knees are way up on my triceps and my abs are engaged to hold my legs this high. There's definitely a balancing point here as I'm slightly leaned forward. Center of gravity is a little different for everyone so the pose could look slightly different based on body type.
The next version I'll show is a little easier because you bend your arms to provide kind of a shelf with your triceps to put your shins / knees on.
CROW POSE
This version I'd say is level 1 difficulty for me as it was the first arm balance I learned. It requires much less core strength. If you wish to try this pose for the first time maybe do it in front of a couch so if you fall forward you won't face plant. That or leave one foot on the ground and play around with briefly lifting that foot until you can hold the pose without your foot down.
I'm excited about sharing all the arm balances I've learned over the years and after I show each one of those I'll probably start a series of headstands and then more complicated combinations of things. I hope you all will enjoy my series! I can do some pretty cool stuff.
Namaste
Wow......very nice......Keep it up
Thank you. This is just the first in a series of what will end up being probably 10 posts that I'll do one of per day.
great balance buddy <3 how did u captured ? timer or friend ? :D
For this particular day I took a video with my iphone propped up against a block and then took screen shots so I could post them. I think once I teach myself how to post youtube videos here I'll probably start showing some cool transitions from one pose to another (like going from headstand to arm balances).
Thanks for checking out my post :)
This is top-notch!
Good stuff! I have been practicing my crow pose to hand stand, getting steadier and achieving it once or twice a day... After a couple of attempts my arms are so fatigued I can hardly hold crow with control.
Keep up the practice!
I'm sure that does take a lot out of you! A couple of years ago I was strong enough in my chest and shoulders to barely press up from headstand to handstand and I could do it maybe once or twice in a day. I stopped lifting weights as much recently and sadly I've lost just enough strength so I can't do it any more.
That's a hard transition going from crow up to handstand. I can do it in reverse (handstand down to crow) and I can also do the transition in lotus but I haven't mastered going from arm balance up into handstand. Still working on that.
Very cool, one day I'll get there...sigh!
Yes you will! Consistent practice yields amazing results :)
I like that you are posting arm balances with your commentary on each! Looking forward to seeing more.
I am in between these 2 examples for bakasana...my knees go up into my arm pits, but my arms aren't quite straight yet. If feels like I'm getting closer though over time. One hold back for me is a slight feeling like my elbows are going to hyper extend as I approach fully straightening them. Do you ever get that sensation?
When I was still learning to do it with arms straight I wasn't quite as strong as I am now so my knees weren't as high and I did get that sensation. When I do crane I actually keep a slight microbend in my elbows and keep my arm muscles engaged so there's no risk of hyperextension. My elbows actually go a little bit past straight so when my arms appear straight the joint isn't actually under any strain.
As I think more about it, there's also the fact that everyone has a slightly different center of gravity so if you're having to lean farther forward into it to get your arms straight then that will put more strain on the elbow joints. I think you're probably a bit more flexible than me as well so your elbow joints may be a little looser and tend to hyperextend farther than mine would.
That's an excellent question though and I actually had to go back into the pose to think about why I don't feel the hyperextension sensation any more. I always say better safe and conservative than sorry when it comes to joints and ligaments. I've had a couple of scares in the past couple of years when I've almost injured myself and I had to dial it back a bit.
Microbend is a good tip. I think I am trying to push it a little and just forcing forward vs being patient and letting the strength build. I appreciate that you went back into the pose to assess... Thanks for such an experiential answer!