How To Do Crow Posture

Crow Posture, setup 1

Crow Posture, setup 2

Crow Posture, setup 3

Crow Posture is a common arm balance, holding the body perched on the arms with the legs tucked underneath. It is usually the first arm balance taught in yoga classes, because it’s relatively easy to get into and it allows a simple, step-by-step approach to balancing on the hands.

HOW TO DO IT
Start by standing, then bend forward and put your hands on the floor a little bit in front of your feet (see the picture “Setup 1” above on the left). Bend your knees and squat down a little; it will also help to bend your elbows. Put your knees on your arms above the elbows. Keep them there. It helps to squeeze the knees together, like you are pressing them onto the arms. This will prevent them from slipping down.

Now shift your weight forward into your hands (picture “Setup 2) above middle). More and more weight will come into your hands and arms. At first you may not be strong enough to hold your whole body’s weight on your arms. This is ok, just keep practicing and getting stronger. It may take weeks or months to build the strength. If your wrists hurt from the pressure, do short little sets, just a few seconds at a time.

Once most of your weight is in the arms, lift one foot at a time (pictured “Setup 3” above right). This will build more strength in the arms while also moving you closer to balance. If it is easy to lift one foot at a time, lift both feet off the floor and balance just on your arms.

TWO CROWS
Once your feet are both off the floor, you are doing Crow Posture, as pictured to the right (Crow Posture 1). This is great to build strength and focus. Hold the posture in balance for at least a count of 10. You will be tempted to stop early because it takes a lot of effort and concentration, but stay steady and concentrated.

The stronger you get, the more you can lift your body. So if you are comfortable with the first version, Crow Posture 1, start to straighten your arms more and lift your knees higher into your armpits (pictured below right, Crow Posture 2). Both of these actions take significant strength and control. And it takes more flexibility in the wrists. Just compare the angle of the wrists in the two Crow Postures on the right. The straighter your arms get, the more the wrists bend.

As with all practices, don’t let struggle prevent you from persisting. We only make progress through practice and study, so stick with it!