Build Strong Arms through Bakasana
The Crane Pose Prepares Your Arms for Heavy Exercises in the Gym
Dec 12, 2009 Ajeenkya Birodkar
This posture literally means the "Crane Pose" (also known as the "Crow Pose"), as you mimic a slender bird in its perch. In this posture you balance your entire body only on your palms while your legs are lifted and tucked into your arms. Your knees are in your armpits. This may sound simple but this posture is one of the most challenging of yoga exercises.
How to Do the Bakasana (Crane Pose)
Sit on a mat and breathe easy. Now turn around so that you rest your torso on all four limbs. Place a pillow on the mat in front of your head. Exhale before you start. Now bend your arms from the elbows and your legs from the knees. Place your palms flat on the floor and spread your fingers to give yourself as broad a base as possible. Bring your arms and legs as close together as you can. Now touch your knees to your armpits and then literally insert your knees into your armpits.
You are now in a perfect crouching position and ready for lift off. At this pose your head might droop. Look ahead so that your face is facing forward. Now comes the tricky part. With a single momentum lift both your legs and balance yourself on your palms alone. Chances are that you will fall. Every learner falls many times, so cheer up.
The secret here is to try, try and try again, until you get it right over many days of practice and falls. Remember to keep your arms bent at your elbows and hold them firmly. They are liable to be sprained at the elbows if you keep your arms loose or spread them outwards as you lift your legs in a single momentum. A jerky movement while learning is natural when you lift your legs off the floor. But once you master your reflexes, you do this movement of lifting your legs more as a controlled movement.
To make learning this difficult posture easier, you can ask a friend to stand in front of you and support your head from dropping to the floor when you lift your legs. With front support, it would be easier for you to lift your legs and learn to do this posture eventually without anybody’s support.
Some learners try to do it with one leg first. Although it may eventually turn out to be difficult this way and slow down your learning process. The modified form of this posture is known as the Eka Pada Bakasana or one legged crow pose. But this requires a different set of steps.
How to Come Out of the Bakasana
Only when you achieve the skill to lift off successfully and then to balance yourself, will you have to worry about the process of coming out of this posture. Coming out is relatively easier.
Move your hip backwards a bit and let your feet drop to the ground. You land on your toes, while your heel is still aloft from the ground. After this, sit flat on your foot soles and get up.
Benefits of the Bakasana
The main benefit of this posture is to strengthen your arms, as they bear the entire weight of your body. Your wrists too are strengthened as they form the pivot on which the body is balanced. The Bakasana prepares your arms for heavy exercises in the gym. As your abdomen is under pressure too, the abdominal muscles get toned.
To derive comprehensive benefits from the different yoga exercises, do this exercise along with other yoga exercises like the Ardha Chandrasana to resist ailments like osteoporosis and slipped disc, the Mandukasana to resist diabetes, and the Halasana to exercise your entire body with a single posture.
Exercise Caution While Doing the Bakasana
This exercise is for those who are already fit to enable them to build the muscles of their arms and abdomen. Only those with an acrobatic bent of mind should opt for this posture. Those who prefer light yoga postures can give the Bakasana a miss.
In any case do consult your doctor and have your yoga teacher around to help and guide you through when you learn to do this asana.
Bakasana - The Crane Pose of Yoga
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Health & Wellness
Latest Articles