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pose of the month for may
CROW POSE
Type of pose: Arm Balance
Benefits: Strengthens arms and wrists. Stretches the upper back. Strengthens the abdominal muscles. Opens the groins
Instructions:
1. Squat down with your inner feet a few inches apart. Separate your knees wider than your hips and lean the torso forward, between the inner thighs. Stretch your arms forward, then bend your elbows, place your hands on the floor and the backs of the upper arms against the shins.
2. Snuggle your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, and your shins into your armpits, and slide the upper arms down as low onto the shins as possible. Lift up onto the balls of your feet and lean forward even more, taking the weight of your torso onto the backs of the upper arms. In Crow you consciously attempt to contract your front torso and round your back completely. To help yourself do this, keep your tailbone as close to your heels as possible.
3. With an exhalation, lean forward even more onto the backs of your upper arms, to the point where the balls of your feet leave the floor. Now your torso and legs are balanced on the backs of your upper arms.
4. Stay in the pose anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 minute. To release, exhale and slowly lower your feet to the floor, back into a squat.
Beginners Tip:
Beginners tend to move into this pose by lifting their buttocks high away from their heels. In Crow try to keep yourself tucked tight, with the heels and buttocks close together. When you are ready to take the feet off the floor, push the upper arms against the shins and draw your inner groins deep into the pelvis to help you with the lift.
Modifications and Props:
Some students have a difficult time lifting into Crow from the floor. It's often helpful to prepare for this pose squatting on a block or other height, so that your feet are a few inches off the floor.
kfowler@go2yas.com.
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