Affirmation: I am soaring to new heights.
One of my students affectionately refers to this pose as Face Plantasana. That was before he learned how to find the balance between his hands on the ground and hips in the air through a lifted “center” and firm legs.
For a lot of people, what tends to be missing in this pose is adjusting the weight from the heels of the hands to the fingertips and the flexibility necessary to hold the knees against the arms. If this is lost, the wrists collapse, shoulders roll forward, and BAM! The floor is often too close for comfort.
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Since positioning the knees on the outer upper arms can be the first road block met when attempting Bakasana, I’ve included a few poses to practice in order to prepare you.
Let’s take a closer look.
Supported Lunge for Hip Flexors
The hip flexors are muscles that flex the hips and pull the knees forward. These muscles are exercised when when we walk, run, bike, or simply sit for long periods of time. Stretching them out help to improve the hip flexion required for getting into Bakasana. This variation allows you to stay in the pose a little longer than usual due to the support of the blocks.
With a focus on the hip flexors and quadriceps (front thigh muscles) of the back leg, visualize the muscles lengthening as they stretch. For a deeper stretch, you can lift the same side arm of the stretched out leg, and reach up alongside your head with the finger tips reaching toward the ceiling and the wall behind you.
Pay attention not to sink into the pelvis or put unnecessary load on the lower back.
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose) for Adductors
The adductors are a group of five muscles that make up the inner thighs and are partially responsible for flexing the hips. Again, to facilitate a longer hold for exploration and a deeper stretch, this variation includes a block and wall. Be mindful of the front thigh, knee, shin and 2nd toe alignment.
Push well into the block with the front knee and feel how this helps to stretch into the back leg. Focus on lifting the back inner thigh away from the floor and pushing both legs in opposite directions of each other.
Plank for Upper Body & Core Strength
Upper body and core strength is a must for this pose, but it has to be balanced with the work of the hips and legs. OK, my secret’s out: The block is my friend! Place a block between your inner upper thighs and about 2 inches away from the pelvis. Adduct the legs (draw them into your center) by gently grabbing the block. Simultaneously, lift your lower belly back and up. Using your legs and connecting them through your belly helps to keep your pelvis light and lifted. You’ll also want that skill in Bakasana! Here you can practice proper weight distribution in the hands (you’ll need that for Bakasana, too) while using your legs to activate your core. Press down through the inner hands and reach through the finger tips, sourcing out the space beyond them. Notice how the arms, belly and legs work in concert to create a solid and firm stance, and prevent collapsing in the wrists or spinal segments.
Malasana (Squat Pose) for Knee/Hip Joint Flexibility
There are a few things you can do to help your Malasana. First, if the heels do not touch the floor, please consider placing something (wedge, rolled mat or blanket) underneath them so they can receive feedback to release into the stretch. If they are always hovering, the tissue in the front of the ankles and shins have to work overtime which doesn’t help the cause. If your weight is still tilted forward causing your back to round, consider holding a 10 lb. sand bag in your hands in front of you to help pull some of the weight back into your heels.
Once set up in your best position, relax the skin at the soles of the feet which help to relax the ankles. Allow the lower legs from below the knees down, to relax toward your feet, followed by relaxing the upper legs from above the knees down to the feet. With each exhalation, bring your mind to the hip creases and imagine they are dropping into the back of the pelvis. Let your hips be heavy to help facilitate your best release.
Attempting Bakasana (crow pose)
The yogi’s way is to approach all things with awareness, patience, devotion and courage. And so it goes with Bakasana.
If Malasana is challenging to find, consider placing a folded blanket in front or your hands (a cushioned fall never hurt anyone) and blocks underneath the feet. The elevation will give you the length you might need to counter tight adductors, thereby, supporting the knees higher up the arms. Here you can practice the proper weight distribution on the hands again — be sure to move the weight into the fingers tips and get a feel for shifting your weight forward to find your center of gravity.
Bakasana (crow pose)
Once you are ready to take the leap, and of course you can keep the blocks underneath your feet and the blanket in front of you, you must lean your weight into the finger tips to take one foot up at a time. Think about what you did in Plank Pose and how you used your legs to gently adduct and squeeze the block. Imagine the block is there and create the same action while gently lifting the lower belly back and up. Lift your shins and activate your feet, also like you did in Plank. It will help to keep your core strong and pelvis light and lifted. Move your weight from the heels of the hands to the finger tips and source out the space in front of them.
Keep practicing and have fun. You’ll be soaring to new heights in no time!
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To learn more about all things yoga, go to www.leeanncareyyoga.com or email me at leeann@leeanncareyyoga.com
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