Crow Pose, also known as Kakasana, is an arm balance yoga asana with numerous health advantages. It works on your upper back, legs and arms to strengthen and tone them. In addition, it offers mental and spiritual benefits that help to improve the quality of life.
So, if you want to know more about this asana, and understand its health benefits, continue reading!
Kakasana is a balancing asana in modern yoga and hatha yoga. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Kaka" meaning crow, and "asana" meaning pose or posture. In addition, it is an arm balancing pose in which hands are planted on the floor, shins rest upon upper arms, and feet lift up, resembling the shape of a crow.
This pose is often confused with Bakasana or crane pose. Nevertheless, there are differences, as the crow pose is practised with bent arms, while the crane pose is practised with straight arms. Let us now look into some of the health benefits that this yoga asana offers.
Some of the specific benefits of crow pose yoga include:
Crow Pose is a fantastic full-body exercise. It strengthens your wrists, upper back, and legs while working your arm and core muscles. Additionally, it is simpler to hold the pose by pressing your knees towards the backs of your arms, providing more physical benefits.
Furthermore, Crow Pose also stretches the abdominal muscles and opens the groin. The position also promotes the flexibility and elasticity of the spine while stretching the upper back and reducing acidity and heartburn.
This asana requires you to balance your body on your arms forcing you to concentrate on lifting rather than falling. Hence, it would be best if you overcome your fear of falling to the ground while you are bearing your weight on your hands.
Additionally, the crow pose promotes body awareness while posing in the air and sharpens the mind-body connection. Furthermore, it also strikes the ideal balance between clinging on and letting go. Finally, the crow poses challenges for you to face your anxieties and find the confidence to soar.
The crow pose encourages mindfulness and present-moment focus. This position is also a representation of justice and endurance. Additionally, the sacral chakra, also referred to as the second chakra, is strengthened with this asana. Furthermore, it helps us to reconnect with our feelings, emotions, and creative energy.
Apart from these, some other potential benefits include:
Step 1: Firstly, kneel and place your palms in front of your feet on your yoga mat. After that, you'll need all the support you can get, so make sure to spread your fingers wide.
Step 2: Then, put your lower body weight on the balls of your feet.
Step 3: Following that, bring your knees up to the back of your upper arms.
Step 4: Place your entire weight on your hands, and raise your head while executing this.
Step 5: Lift your feet off the mat (one at a time) while supporting your weight on your arms.
Step 6: While keeping your knees locked into your upper arms, you can use your thighs as support.
Step 7: Then bring your feet up near the cheeks of your gluteal, and hold for as long as necessary or possible.
Step 8: Finally, exhale and then carefully reposition yourself to land on your feet and stand straight.
A few tips to ace the crow pose are:
The basis of any asana is the Tadasana or the mountain pose. It is the foundation of every yoga pose. So, never underestimate the need for your basic strength! Besides, your basics also enables you to build your pose safely and slowly while stabilising your posture. Since you are balancing on your hands in the Kakasana, they serve as the foundation.
Your adductor muscles are the most powerful participants in Kakasana. These muscles run along your inner thighs and draw the legs toward one another when tightened. Also, you must fully contract these muscles in order to take off and maintain lift. However, the easiest way to work the adductors is to hug your legs toward your body's midline.
The body is equipped with locks called bandhas that allow the flow of energy, or prana, which are meant to be released or constrained. For example, in the Kakasana, you restrict the flow of energy to the lower body to make it easier to shift your weight against gravity.
However, the two main bandhas that are most beneficial for this posture are the Uddiyana bandha and Mula bandha. Both these locks establish a root basis and permit flight while performing crow pose.
When the bandhas are pulled tight, you may start to feel the strength of your core. Moreover, in this regard, the most crucial component is the core of each arm’s balance. So, round your spine in the crow posture to strongly activate your core and enhance your physical well-being.
Kakasana involves continuously pushing the floor away while allowing gravity to work in your favour. In this regard, keep your glutes high and press the ground away from you rather than allowing your body to sink toward the bottom. Then, as you slowly float up into the crow pose, you can lead with your hips by pointing them upward.
When performing Kakasana, keep your eyes forward. One myth of the crow pose is that people frequently think that arm balances require a lot of arm strength. Although arm strength is undoubtedly important, you must also know that practising these poses involves more than just using your strength to counterbalance your weight.
If you lean forward far enough while keeping strength and alignment, your legs will become light to the point where they will just lift off the ground.
As Kakasana is an advanced yoga pose, you can avoid it if you are:
Also, if you are starting to perform this yoga, take professional assistance to learn it properly to avoid any potential injury.
You can also perform Kakasana or crow pose with some simple modifications. A few of them are as follows:
So, it is evident Crow Pose (Kakasana) is a balancing pose and is also popular in Hatha yoga and modern yoga for exercises. However, if you are just starting your yoga journey, and you are facing difficulty, you can start with Marjaryasana, Utthan Pristhasana, Ardha Navasana etc., to increase your flexibility, and then proceed towards Kakasana.
Please try one more time!
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