Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We probably never really 'master' a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our deepest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability...
Mastering Bakasana
Mastering Bakasana
Crow Pose
MASTERING BAKASANA
We probably never really ‘master’ a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our deepest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to discern where to go in the next phases of our journey, both on and off the mat.
As we delve into a posture like Bakasana, we become aware very quickly that we must get a sense of our proprioception in the posture. Proprioception is essentially understanding where our bodies are in space. This may not necessarily be easy, so investigating the posture in different planes can assist with this understanding. In addition to this, applying technique is the ticket to the elevation of our abilities. The marriage between technique and proprioception will help us realize our potential in Bakasana.
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MALASANA POSE POSITIONING
In today’s video, Matt demonstrates variations of Bakasana with techniques that help to prepare our bodies for this challenging arm balance. The first variation we see is in a Malasana pose position. Really, this is something that seems quite obvious because it’s essentially Bakasana in a “seated” position. As Matt always teaches, it takes some of the complexity out of the posture and helps up hone in on the foundations.
Here, we focus on placing and squeezing the knees into the outer arms. Now the element that can become more difficult when we implement the balance is the necessary spinal flexion. In this Malasana position, we practice rounding the back and placing the arms out into the arm balance position, being mindful to keep the forearms parallel to the ground. This is how we begin to get more comfortable with proprioception.
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MASTERING BAKASANA: PROPRIOCEPTION & ARM BALANCE TECHNIQUES
BAKASANA ON YOUR BACK
Bakasana on our back begins to promote increased activation in the body. Matt teaches that the objective here is to get the head and buttocks off of the ground. We are still working on squeezing the inner thighs into the outer arms in order to activate the adductors.
The benefit we receive from practicing this variation is a better understanding of the tension and strength required for the balanced variation. It’s the next stepping stone in developing stability and control. As we move into the balanced variation, we rely on this strength and patterning.
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GET LIGHTER
When we start to implement the balance into Bakasana, we can feel the heaviness of supporting our body weight. What we need to strive for is a “lightness” in the posture. We access this by starting with the foundation.
With the elevation of blocks under the feet, we can maneuver the body into deeper spinal flexion with knees outside the upper arms and shoulders. Once the shape is created and we squeeze the legs in, we must then shift our weight forward. If we don’t have a good sense of proprioception, this is when it can fall apart. Matt brings our attention to bringing the weight out of our feet and into our hands. From here we grip the hands more which lifts us higher and helps us to feel more secure when leaning forward. This is where the lightness is achieved.
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KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE
Knowing exactly where we are can be interpreted in many ways. It can easily refer to our own understanding of where we are on the journey of Bakasana, so knowing which variation we need to “master” before we move towards the next. When we go through the course of exploration, it is also most definitely referring to proprioception. We must know where we are in space in order to find the lift and lightness required for this arm balance.
Awareness enables us to adjust and refine, with greater precision. With this understanding, it’s not about an end goal but rather embracing the journey of our practice. It’s through this deepened self-awareness that we can feel the subtle shifts and adjustments that lead to progress.
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