The crow is a lot less difficult to do than it looks. The Sanskrit name is kakasana, an onomatopoeia bringing the sounds of a caw-cawing bird alive. Hip-hop artists and back-up dancers have co-opted this pose, with twists and swirls and legs flying in the air, and those yogic variations are indeed a little more complicated to get into. In your basic bog-standard crow pose (below) you do need to play around with your hands, knees and elbows to get the just-right placement and adjustment in which to spring onto.
But the operative word, again (see April's "Fifty Shades of Play") is play. Don't take it too seriously or think that you can't do such an 'advanced' pose. Who says this is advanced? Sometimes students get really overwhelmed about how it looks and the fear factor arises. Then a litany of mind-chatter emerges. I hear a lot: 'I don't have upper body strength'. Let me tell you, you gain strength through doing this. It's not a prerequisite.
Start by crouching on your tippy toes and with your feet close together at first. Widen out your knees and place palms down, fingers slightly turning inwards. You can simply breathe in this starting pose for half a minute or so. Catch your collective breath and listen to where your body is advising you to adjust feet and hands, as well as your knees. Play around with the placement of knees on shins. Then begin to shift weight on your palms and start by lifting only one foot off the ground. Free-breathe with just one foot in the air. Then lower and raise the other foot. Continue to swap legs. Your heart may be racing. This is a heart pose so that would be natural. Just watch the breathe and try not to get caught up with it. Your bottom will be in the air.
As you switch legs and get comfortable with that, practice leaning the top half of your body forward. This forward jutting of the torso and head is absolutely key as a counter-balance to your bottom. It will help you support your body and you won't need to continually keep the pressure in your hands and arms. Then the next time you bring up one foot, try bringing up the other and there will be a spring as you come forwards. Once you balance with both feet up, the pose feels daring, like you are suspended in space.
But the operative word, again (see April's "Fifty Shades of Play") is play. Don't take it too seriously or think that you can't do such an 'advanced' pose. Who says this is advanced? Sometimes students get really overwhelmed about how it looks and the fear factor arises. Then a litany of mind-chatter emerges. I hear a lot: 'I don't have upper body strength'. Let me tell you, you gain strength through doing this. It's not a prerequisite.
Start by crouching on your tippy toes and with your feet close together at first. Widen out your knees and place palms down, fingers slightly turning inwards. You can simply breathe in this starting pose for half a minute or so. Catch your collective breath and listen to where your body is advising you to adjust feet and hands, as well as your knees. Play around with the placement of knees on shins. Then begin to shift weight on your palms and start by lifting only one foot off the ground. Free-breathe with just one foot in the air. Then lower and raise the other foot. Continue to swap legs. Your heart may be racing. This is a heart pose so that would be natural. Just watch the breathe and try not to get caught up with it. Your bottom will be in the air.
As you switch legs and get comfortable with that, practice leaning the top half of your body forward. This forward jutting of the torso and head is absolutely key as a counter-balance to your bottom. It will help you support your body and you won't need to continually keep the pressure in your hands and arms. Then the next time you bring up one foot, try bringing up the other and there will be a spring as you come forwards. Once you balance with both feet up, the pose feels daring, like you are suspended in space.
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