BAKASANA

BAKASANA Crane Pose

(baka = “crane”)

 

Technique:

Stand in Tadasana

crane1

Squat down with your feet slightly apart

crane2

Put your hands on the floor, fingers open and pointing forward, hands should be shoulder width apart

Place your knees in your armpits and bring your butt up a little bit higher

 crane3

Shift your weight forward and move up to the tip of your toes

Round your back

Gaze forward to a point approx. 50 – 80 cm away from you

crane4

With an exhalation shift your weight further forward over your hands and lift up onto your toes until you feel that your feet come off the ground, keep your tailbone as close to your heels as possible

Point your toes and move the big toes together

Straighten your arms as much as possible

Hold for 5 – 8 breaths all the while squeezing your inner thighs against the sides of your torso, suck the abdominal muscles inwards

crane 5

Exhale and gradually lower the feet back to the ground

 

Video:

 

 

Muscles engaged:

All muscles of the shoulder girdle and the upper arms

Core muscles

Back muscles

 

Benefits:

Strengthens the shoulders, arms and wrists

Strengthens the core muscles

Stretches the upper back

Improves balance

 

Contraindications:

People with wrist problems (carpal tunnel syndrome)

Pregnant women

 

How to deepen the pose:

Straighten your arms as much as possible, bring your feet close to the buttocks

 

Tips:

Try to keep tightly tucked with your heels close to the buttocks

Gaze forward in front of you, not down below you or back on your feet, don’t compress your neck either

If there is too much pressure on the wrist, try to curl the fingers slightly instead of placing them flat

 

KAKASANA VS. BAKASANA

(crow pose vs. crane pose)

 

 

Kakasana                                                                     Bakasana

 

arms bent at an angle of approx. 120 degreees         arms are straight

 

upper arms and elbows are resting                             knees are resting in the armpits

on the shins

 

knees are out to the side                                                knees are pointing forward

 

hips are low                                                                      hips are high

 

 

Veronika 200hrs Sept14 weekday