This Video Tutorial Teaches You To Balance On Your Hands

The basic crow pose is an advanced-beginner yoga pose that’s a great stepping stone for teaching you to balance on your hands. And it’s like the gateway balancing pose to the other badarse yoga moves, but it can also be really practical: You get to work on hip flexibility and improve your shoulder, chest and core strength.

Kakasana is the Sanskrit name for the crow pose. Unlike in a handstand, you tuck in your body and prop all of your weight against your arms. It feels impossible to hold yourself up at first, but there’s a trick: Your shins should be pushing against the back of your arms (triceps), which should always be in contact with your shins. Some people find more stability with the inner thighs squeezing against the triceps instead. Keep your elbows bent and your fingers spread apart to keep it stable.

The video does a great job of breaking down the whole crow pose so that you can practise the individual segments. Being able to do a full push-up makes learning the crow pose easier. Also, you might want to set pillows in front of you, as there’s a high risk of face-planting while practising the crow pose. Just saying.

Bakasana for Beginners, Crow Pose Yoga Arm Balance [Neil Keleher]