BAKASANA Crane Pose
(baka = “crane”)
Technique:
Stand in Tadasana
Squat down with your feet slightly apart
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
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
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
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