How to Practice Crow Pose

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This article was co-written by Alison Buchanan. Alison Buchanan is a teacher at Yoga Power Vinyasa based in Seattle. She has completed over 300 hours of training with renowned yoga instructor, Baron Baptiste and is a certified Baptiste teacher. She is a teacher with The Art of Yoga project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the responsible experience of yoga to adolescent girls in the California Justice System.

There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

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Crow pose or bakasana in Pali is one of the first hand balance exercises that yoga students practice. The crow pose strengthens the arms, wrists, and abs, ^{[1] X Source of research} also helps stretch the upper back and groin area. ^{[2] X Research Source} Bakasana is a bit difficult to do but you can do it with regular practice, then you will be able to do more difficult variations of this pose.

Table of Contents

Practice crow pose

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Start in a squat position. The squat, or malasana in Pali, is a hip extension pose, similar to the crow pose but in an upright position. This pose makes it easier to get into crow pose if you’re a beginner or if your arm or wrist strength is weak. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Keep your head straight and squeeze your elbows and knees together. The important point is that you do not press your elbows against the inner thighs so that you can keep the chest area maximally open. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
Do not lower your shoulders. Pull your shoulder blades behind your back to lift your chest. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Look straight ahead. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Place your hands on the floor. From a squatting position place your palms flat on the floor at shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. This distance makes it easier for you to lift your body weight in crow pose. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Extend your fingers. Extended fingers will help you better balance when you’re on the crow. If you feel comfortable, you can rotate the tips of your fingers a little so that they are facing each other. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Use straps to keep arms aligned if needed. To use the belt properly, tie it in a circle and measure it to approximately shoulder width when flattening the circle. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Shift your body weight forward and push your sitting bones up. The transition from a squat can be quite challenging. Slowly shift your body weight into your hands and lift your sitting bones up into the air to make the transition into crow pose easier. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you’re in a squat, bend your elbows and move your chest forward while shifting your body weight forward. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Place your knees on your back biceps. To get into crow pose, bend your elbows slightly, raise yourself above your toes, and try to position your knees on your back biceps, as high as possible. Imagine trying to get your knees into your armpits! ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Pull the inner thighs into the sides of the torso and push the shins into the biceps. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Using the pelvic floor muscles, also known as the root lock (locking the anal area), inhale the abdominal muscles and lift the sitting bones up. ^{[14] X Research Source}
To make the transition into crow pose easier, you can stand on a yoga pillow. This puts your body in a higher position, making it easier to position your knees on your biceps. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Look forward. One of the key elements to doing crow pose is keeping your gaze forward. If you look down at your hands or feet, you will lose your balance.

Try to focus on looking in front of your hands. ^{[16] X Research Source}
If you are afraid of falling and can’t lift yourself up, put a pillow or blanket on the floor in front of you to reduce pain when falling. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Lift one leg off the ground and then lift the other. Transfer your body weight to your hands by resting your knees on your back biceps and lifting your feet off the floor. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Never suddenly switch to crow pose (or any yoga pose)! Gently and slowly shift the weight forward until your feet are off the ground. ^{[19] X Research Source}
If you’re afraid of falling, start slowly lifting one leg off the ground, then raise the other. When you feel stronger and have better balance, lift both legs at the same time. ^{[20] X Research Sources}
After your feet are off the ground, try touching your big toes together and bring your heels as close to your butt as possible. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Practice the crow pose from the banana tree pose

Practice the crow pose from the banana tree pose (Sirsasana II). Once you’ve mastered the crow pose and are a regular yoga practitioner, you can transition from the banana tree pose to the crow pose. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Sirsasana II requires good balance and strong core muscles. ^{[26] X Research Sources}
Only do this transition if you’ve mastered the crow pose and are comfortable in the banana tree position. ^{[27] X Research Source}
Remember never to rush into any yoga pose.

Raise your body into a banana position. From a bent forward split, begin to lift your toes off the floor. You can bring your knees to your chest and lift your legs up into a banana position, or if you are a yoga person, you can raise your legs directly into the banana position.

If you choose to lift your legs directly into the banana plant from a crouching position, keep in mind that this requires very good balance and abdominal strength. Using the pelvic floor muscles can be of great help when working out this way. ^{[28] X Research Sources}

Transition from banana to crow pose. While this is a much more difficult adjustment than the regular crow pose, it’s much more enjoyable to practice, and the transitions are smooth if you do it right. From banana stand, bring your knees to your biceps and gently push back into crow pose. ^{[29] X Research Sources}

Just like the normal crow pose, you have to keep your knees as close to your armpits as possible. ^{[30] X Research Source}
Once you’ve positioned your knee, push into your arm and gradually shift the weight into it. This way you will be in the most optimal cross-over position. ^{[31] X Research Source}
It takes some practice to be able to transition from banana to crow. Regular practice is the way to help you master this sequence of poses.

Finish crow pose or continue with another pose. After completing the transition from banana to crow, you can lower back to a squat or transition to another position. Only practice yoga poses that you can do the right form.

Advice

You can also rest your forehead on a yoga pillow to aid in the crow pose. ^{[32] X Research Source}

Warning

Crow pose is not suitable for people with wrist or shoulder injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Pregnant women should also avoid this pose. ^{[33] X Research Sources}

Things you need

Yoga Mattress
Large space
Cushion or pillow (optional)
Yoga pillow (optional)
Straps (optional)

Steps

Practice crow pose

Practice the crow pose from the banana tree pose

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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