HOW TO: Modify Crow Pose
Crow pose, or Bakasana is likely one of the first-hand balancing poses you will learn in a yoga class. Fear is the biggest obstacle you will face when trying this pose. So drop the story and give it a whirl! Believe me falling on your face doesn’t hurt that bad, speaking from experience. ;)
ANYWHO if you are working on crow pose, here are some good modifications you can take any time in class.
Malasana aka Yogi Squat. Bring your feet wider than hips distance, feet pointing out at a 45-degree angle. Take your seat down towards your mat, the crown of you head towards the sky. Place your elbows on your inner knees while your hands are held at heart center. Lift the front of your pelvis as your tailbone descends. Draw your shoulder blades in to your mid back.
Crow pose with block support on your forehead. This is a great option to work on the fear of shifting your weight forward. Place your hands shoulder distance apart. Ground down through your hands.
Crow pose, lifting one foot at a time. This will really prepare you to take flight. Ground down through your hands, lift the pit of your belly in and up, take your out. Squeeze into to create full expression out! Shift your weight forward and then alternate lifting your feet towards your seat.
The next two options I did not discuss in my video. The first option is to start standing on a block. I like this option because it helps keep your hips in the. We all got some junk in the trunk and if we start with our hips too low, it is more challenging to get proper balance.
This option is good for understanding the feeling of drawing your belly and feet in, although I personally feel it shifts the weight a little too much than what actually happens in crow, but it is still a good option to practice while learning nonetheless. Place a block on its highest level at both of your shoulders. Place your hands on the mat at shoulder distance, ground down through your hands. Place your shoulders on the blocks, shift your weight forward and draw your feet toward your seat.
