Kakasana; Crow Pose - Learning how to Fly!

Learning how to fly may seem like an impossibility as we try and try again to lift up our feet from the mat, trust ourselves to let go of the security of the connection between the soles of the feet and that trusted mat underneath you and lift up onto the wrists.  Kakasana may seem like one of the more challenging postures but like all postures with practice it will come, it just takes time and that will be different for each individual, for some it may come quickly and for others the light at the end of the tunnel may seem a distant speck.  But like all the postures it is the process that matters, it is the journey of the posture where we learn.  All postures were designed to be mental exercises as well as physical, improving strength in the mind as well as in the body, but it is the balancing postures that give the most notable improvement in the powers of concentration and prepare us for meditation.  Kakasana brings mental tranquillity and although we may fall to begin with, practiced in the proper way with the proper approach it is much easier than it may first appear.

Here is how;

1. Sit in a squatting position with feet and knees wide apart.  Place the hands on the mat in front of you, spreading the fingers nice and wide to make a firm foundation.  Keep the hands slightly rotating inward.  Make sure the hands are beneath the shoulders.
2. Bend the elbows a little outward, making shelves for the knees, placing the knees into the armpits, or on the respective upper arms.
3. Focus the eyes on a point several feet in front of the body, this will help you balance, if you look down it will be much more difficult.  Shift the weight forward onto the hands and hold the position there with the big toes still resting on the mat for support.
4. Begin to pull the belly into the spine and slowly lift the feet up, one at a time to begin with.
5. Breathe there and enjoy this flying sensation!  Even if you can’t bring the feet up to begin with you will still gain much benefit from bringing the weight onto the wrists.
6. Slowly lower the feet back down to the mat and gently shake out your wrists.
7. Remember never to jump into this position, you should always move slowly and gracefully and only go into full posture when the strength and flexibility is there.

Kakasans will bring much strength to the wrists, arms and shoulders.  It increases breathing capacity by expanding the chest, and increases the powers to concentrate helping to remove lethargy.  It is an excellent pose for people in jobs who are in danger of getting repetitive strain injury. 

So join me on the mat and lets learn how to fly together,

Have beautiful days

Om Om shanti Om

Mangala / nicky.