Yoga Positions

Arm balances are an important part of yoga sequences. You can easily integrate these yoga positions into your practice. So we will begin by showing you the basics and some useful tricks that will help you get into these challenging yoga positions.

An area that needs to be strengthened is the arms and certain areas of the body need to be flexible. Below you can see a simple exercise that will strengthen your arms. This can be done daily increasing the amount of times as the arms and body adapt.

In this sequence of yoga positions we inhale from Downward Dog to Plank. Then we exhale to Eight Limbs pose. Inhale back to the Plank position and exhale returning to Downward Dog. This is repeated as many times as possible.

Yoga Positions for arm strength below

If the above sequence is too hard to perform because of insufficient arm strength you can try taking the knees down from The Plank.

Yoga Positions - Bakasana

The first arm balance yoga position is one of the easiest to perform. It is known as Bakasana which means the Crane. Demonstrated is the easy version with the elbows bent.

In the easy version you can turn the fingers in a little so that the elbows turn out and make it easy for the knees to balance on the arms. In this method you do not need as much arm strength.

One of the fundamental secrets of arm balances is finding what is known as the tilting point. This is when you lean forward enough to raise the body naturally of the floor.

Fear can be an obstacle of finding this point. There is fear that we may plunge head first into the floor and there is also fear that the wrists will be injured. These fears are quite justified because both can occur quite easily.

This yoga position can also be performed with the arms straight but it is hard on the wrists.

Yoga position - Parsva Bakasana

This Yoga position is the Side Crane.
The hands are placed in front of the body a little wider than shoulder width apart.

The knees are bent then one is placed on top of the other.

Place the knees as high up the arm as possible then lean the outside of the leg into the arm.

Turn the hand slightly in if its hard to hook the legs above the arm.

The easy way to do this position is to tuck the elbow under the body to provide a pillar of support. This is show opposite.

The body can be raised from the supporting elbow to allow more freedom. The arm can even be straightened.

Feel free to extend through the toes, ball points of the toes or the heels.

Yoga Positions - Astavakrasana

This yoga position is named after an ancient sage. In a seated position place one leg diagonally out and bend the knee. (In this case the right leg.) Place the other foot over it and place the right hand through the gap between the legs.

Align the hands by placing the middle fingers forward then bend the elbows slightly out.

Lean the chest forward and straighten the legs diagonally out keeping them hooked. The leg on top remains slightly bent but the one underneath straightens nicely.

Yoga Positions - Eka Pada Bakasana

This position can be entered from the headstand or from Bakasana above or by just placing one leg on the outside of the arm and leaning over the wrists with the upper body.

Opposite you can see 2 different variations of this yoga position. One is high and angled the other is low.

It is nice if the hooked leg points in the same direction as the straightened leg.

For an easier pose hook the elbow of the free arm under your body. This way you will not need as much arm strength and you can still have a great pose. When you are strong enough try this yoga position with the arm free and the elbow out. Energy will move more freely.