Pose of the Month: Eka Pada Galavasana - Flying Crow Pose

By Rebecca Merritt

Eka Pada Galavasana is an excellent pose to help you face any fears – of arm balancing or otherwise. Flying Crow will help test your balance and focus. It is a pose where you need to trust your heart (shifting the weight forward on your chaturanga arms) and keep your head up (by keeping your gaze forward) to conquer. And on or off the mat doesn’t that always seem to be the case?

Benefits:

-          Strengthens arms

-          Strengthens neck and shoulders

-          Stretches hips

-          Improves focus

-          Improves balance

-          Stimulates digestion

How to:

1. From Tadasana begin to move into Tree pose by drawing the right knee in towards the chest while you balance on the left foot. Place the right foot to the inner left thigh, opening the right knee to the side, and find your balance.

2. Remove the right foot from the inner left thigh, and place the right ankle just above the left knee.

3. Bring palms to meet in front of the heart. Begin to sit back as if in Uttkatasana, chair pose.

4. Slowly fold forward, bringing the backs of the arms to the shin of your right leg. Continue to fold until you can plant the palms of your hands to the floor. You may need to come up to tiptoes on your left foot.

5. Hook the toes of the right foot around your upper left arm. Keep the right foot strongly flexed and the toes tightly hugging the arm.

6. Bend the elbows, coming into chaturanga arms. Pick a point to focus on out in front of you.

7. Bring the weight of the body forward into the hands as you lift the left foot off the floor keeping the knee bent at first. Keep the gaze forward.

8. Bring even more weight forward as you straighten the left leg behind you.

9. Flex the left foot strongly as you continue to hug the right foot to your upper arm.

10. Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side.