Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Advancedstrength

Come into a deep squat. Knees wide, feet together.

Balance your entire body on your hands with knees perched on the upper arms. An empowering arm balance that proves you are stronger than you think.

Key points

•Hands shoulder-width apart, fingers spread
•Knees rest high on the backs of the upper arms
•Round the upper back — like a cat
•Gaze forward, not down — lean into it

Practice with Guru Ananda

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Hold each pose, breathe, and let the guide speak.

Theory & Technique

Bakasana (Crow Pose) is one of the first arm balances most practitioners learn, and it is named after the baka (crow or crane). The hands plant shoulder-width apart with the fingers spread for a wide base. From a deep squat, the knees hug high onto the backs of the upper arms, and the practitioner leans forward until the feet become light enough to lift. The secret is not arm strength but forward lean — the centre of gravity must shift ahead of the wrists. The upper back rounds (protraction of the scapulae) to create a shelf for the knees. A common mistake is looking down between the hands, which causes face-plants; instead, gaze 6 to 12 inches ahead of the fingertips. Start with one foot at a time lifting off to build confidence.

Fun Fact

Crow Pose is often confused with Crane Pose (Kakasana), but they are different: in Crow the arms are bent and the knees rest on the outer upper arms, while in Crane the arms are straight and the knees squeeze toward the armpits. Most yoga classes teach Crow and call it Crane — even experienced teachers mix them up!

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps to get into the pose correctly.

1
Start in a deep squat (Malasana) with feet close together and knees wide.
2
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the mat, fingers spread wide, about a foot in front of your feet.
3
Come onto the balls of your feet and bring your knees as high as possible onto the backs of your upper arms.
4
Begin shifting your weight forward into your hands — keep the gaze 6 to 12 inches ahead of your fingertips.
5
When you feel the weight in your hands, lift one foot off the floor, then the other. Hug the heels toward the sit bones.
6
Round the upper back, engage the core strongly, and press the floor away with your hands.
7
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then gently lower the feet back to the floor.

Benefits

Strengthens the wrists, forearms, and shoulders

Builds deep core and hip flexor strength

Develops body awareness and proprioception

Overcomes mental fear of inversions and falling

Tones the abdominal organs through compression

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.