How to Jump Back from Bakasana (Crow Pose) to Chatarunga
Bakasana (Crow pose) jump back to Chatarunga is a transition posture often seen in Ashtanga and Vinyasa classes. It’s a full body explosive movement that will strengthen your arms, core and legs.
💪🏽 Benefits: strengthens arms, core, wrists, inner thighs
🙅🏽♀️ Avoid/Contraindications: wrist or shoulder injuries
🙆🏽♀️ Modifications: instead of jumping back, try stepping back one foot at a time
✨ I recommend going through at least 20 minutes of gentle stretches and Sun Salutation A and B to ensure your wrists, arms, and core are all ready for this fun and somewhat scary transition.
⚠️ Please keep in mind you should only practice this transition once you feel comfortable holding both Crow pose and Chaturanga! If you still practice Chaturanga with your knees down or if you’re face planting every time you practice Crow pose, focus on building strength and confidence in the poses individually.
🧘🏽♀️ How to:
Start in Malasana (yogi squat) feet mat width apart and turned out at a 45 degree angle. Draw tailbone down towards the ground and keep spine long.
Start to come into crow pose, the closer the knees are to the armpits the easier the transition will be. Keep a bend in the elbows and focus your gaze a few inches in front of you to keep neck long.
Prepare to shoot back like an arrow being pulled back from a bow. Take a deep inhale in, and on your exhale, round through the back and draw the lower belly in as you shoot your legs straight behind you.
Keep your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle to land smoothly in Chaturanga! You should never jump back into Plank pose as it puts way too much pressure on the delicate ligaments in your wrists and shoulders.
Rinse out with a vinyasa.