Parsva Bakasana: Side-Crane Pose

BANGALORE: How to practise

•  Stand with feet shoulder-distance apart
•  As you exhale, squat and bring feet together
•  Walk your hands to the left side, keeping them shoulder distance apart
•  Palm should rest firmly on the floor
•  Slightly bend your elbows and place your left leg over your right upper arm
•  Balance your weight on both palms
•  Fix your gaze forward at a point and as you exhale start to lift your hips maintaining strong balance
• Balance on both palms
• Lift your feet off the floor and balance
• Shift the weight of your head and chest forward and while exhaling. Straighten your legs, keeping them parallel to floor
• Hold this position for as long as you are comfortable and breathe rhythmically
• Put legs down and slowly come out of final position
• Return to step two and repeat on other side

Benefits

•  This posture boosts the flow of energy
•  Strengthens arms, wrists, shoulder, chest, buttock, legs and stomach muscles
•  Massages the internal abdominal organs through contraction of upper body
•  Engages and improves muscles of core
•  Develops the nervous control throughout body and mind
•  Enhances concentration, inner focus and sense of balance
•  Regular practise of this asana brings patience

Caution: Good amount of arm and shoulder strength is required to perform this asana.

People suffering from heart ailments, high blood pressure, back and hip problems should not perform this asana.

Grand Master Akshar Akshar Power Yoga Academy, #4004, 100 Ft Road, Indiranagar.

akshar@aksharyoga.com.