Eka Pada Bakasana
SINGLE LEG CROW
EKA PADA BAKASANA
Eka Pada Bakasana asks us to balance curiosity with patience. This one-legged crow variation isn’t just about lifting a leg, it’s about organizing pressure, timing, and trust in unfamiliar territory. The posture quickly reveals where we rush, where we brace unnecessarily, and where we disconnect effort from intention. Instead of chasing flight, this pose invites us to study how weight transfers forward, how the back body contributes, and how the hands communicate with the floor. When Eka Pada Bakasana feels elusive, it’s rarely due to lack of strength. More often, it’s because the body hasn’t yet learned how to coordinate grip, leverage, and momentum as one conversation. This posture becomes a laboratory for intelligent risk-taking where preparation, not courage alone, determines whether lift-off feels chaotic or controlled.
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DO THIS FIRST
If you’ve practiced with Matt, you’ll know that before lifting anything in an arm balance, he directs our attention to the hands. Fingers actively grip the ground, then sustain that grip as weight shifts forward. This isn’t passive contact, it’s deliberate contraction. The primary muscles at work are the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis, muscles that flex the fingers and cross the wrist joint. When we press the fingertips down and slightly back, these muscles stabilize the wrist and help distribute load through the palms rather than dumping it into the heel of the hand. Matt emphasizes that this activation must be maintained, not flickered on and off. In Eka Pada Bakasana, consistent finger engagement becomes our steering wheel. Without it, forward movement feels abrupt and unstable. With it, the body learns how to lean without panic and push without collapse.
WATCH THE VIDEO
EKA PADA BAKASANA: ELEVATED VARIATIONS FOR ULTIMATE HEIGHT
SIMULATE THE EXPERIENCE
Rather than forcing the full pose, Matt offers ways to simulate the physical experience of Eka Pada Bakasana. One option begins in a pigeon-like setup where the hips lift, hands walk forward, and forearms lower to the ground. From here, lifting the back leg introduces the sensation of hamstrings and glutes activating under forward weight shift. The front knee doesn’t need deep flexion due to the fact that it isn’t a flying pigeon. This “simulation” can also make it accessible for many bodies. The lifted leg remains in a turned-out position, offering hip opening without demanding extreme range. As body weight shifts forward and pressure moves into the shin, the back leg begins to feel lighter. These simulations allow the nervous system to experience the pose’s demands without the risk of immediate balance, building confidence and clarity before full execution.
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ONE-LEGGED CROW IN BOAT POSE
To further demystify Eka Pada Bakasana, Matt introduces a seated variation using Boat Pose. One shin clamps outside the arm, supported by the opposite hand, while the torso leans back slightly with the tailbone tucked. From here, the free leg extends forward, mimicking the asymmetry of the arm balance without the complexity of being inverted. This variation teaches the body how the leg connects to the arm shelf and how core engagement supports lift. The shape becomes familiar before it becomes airborne. By rehearsing Eka Pada Bakasana in Boat Pose, we remove fear from the equation and replace it with understanding. The body begins to recognize the posture not as a leap, but as a continuation of actions it already knows.
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TAKE THE LEAP FORWARD
When it’s time to approach the full expression, Matt encourages us to use support strategically. One foot rests on a block while the opposite knee positions outside the shoulder, allowing us to lean forward without fully committing to balance. Cushions beneath the head create a safe zone, turning fear into curiosity. From here, the back foot becomes an articulator, gently extending through the ankle to guide momentum forward. This subtle action helps the lifted leg feel lighter without forcing it. Eka Pada Bakasana emerges not from a jump, but from a controlled glide. Even if the leg doesn’t lift fully, the body learns something valuable: how forward intention, finger grip, and back-body activation work together. The leap forward isn’t sudden , it’s earned, informed, and repeatable.
There’s still time to explore this process in Matt’s current online Immersion Flying Hip Openers.
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Article by Trish Curling
Video Extracted From: Flow & Fly Immersion
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