Leg Over Head PoseEKA PADA SIRSASANALEG OVER HEAD POSE Leg Over Head Pose is one of those postures that challenges not only our bodies but also our mindset. When faced with a seemingly impossible pose, we tend to respond in one of three ways: dismissing it as...
Crow Pose Drills
Crow Pose Drills
bakasana
CROW POSE DRILLS
If we’re attempting to balance in a posture like Crow pose, then the understanding of the way in which we balance our weight is crucial. When we achieve this, not only will we find more confidence and comfort in executing the posture, but we’ll also be able to utilize this new knowledge and patterning to assist in the weight transfer that is imperative for a posture like Handstand. This of course doesn’t happen overnight. Establishing discipline and the right training ground will inform our experience. Implementing Crow pose drills into our practice is an excellent step. It’s not just about doing random drills we come across online or anywhere else, but it’s always about being intentional. The Crow pose drills Matt shares come from a lifetime of dedication and research in understanding the human body (anatomy and biomechanics), and arguably more importantly, the human psyche.
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HANDSTAND CROW DRILL
The first Crow pose drill Matt shares, shows us how to explore the shifting of weight, in the posture. We’re not meant to balance here. It can be scary to think about falling in Crow if we can’t find our balance. After the demonstration of this drill in the full class, Matt discusses how we can train ourselves psychologically to overcome our fear by actually holding ourselves back from attempting to balance. This removes the temptation to go overboard and then ultimately end up falling, which is the very thing we fear.
That first drill is a great precursor to the second drill which is a “Handstand” Crow drill. Again, if we’re scared to balance, it’s great because we go from the bottom up (our head on the ground and then push away). This also serves to strengthen the flexors of the wrist, which is essential for Handstand.
WATCH THE VIDEO
CROW POSE DRILLS: THE KEYS TO BALANCING YOUR WEIGHT
LEAPFROG DRILL
Hollow Body Hops are a great building block that can be implemented as an extension from Matt’s Handstand Prep position #1. What we improve upon here is our ability to shift our weight more into the hands and away from our feet and hips. In fact, we pop off of the feet and start to create a longer hold of balanced weight into the hands.
Here, we place our hands more forward than we would in Handstand Prep #1. Instead of just lifting the heels we do a slight hop off of the feet to propel ourselves more forward in order to bring the feet closer between the hands once again.
In the video Matt demonstrates how to go both forward and backwards in these hops.
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START FROM THE BOTTOM
An effective way to find balance in Crow pose and to understand where the weight shift needs to occur, is to start from the bottom. Having explored it in the previous Handstand Crow pose drill is helpful in now attempting to cultivate more control in this approach.
Matt demonstrates it in two ways. In the first, we have the support of a cushion underneath the head and the next, we remove the cushion/bolster. The latter of course comes with more confidence and may take some time. One of the keys to finding our way up to balance is actively pulling the pubic bone and solar plexus together. This will help to flex the spine to achieve the desired shape and of course will help to pull ourselves up from the headstand position into Crow.
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YOUR PATH, YOUR WAY
It’s in our nature to resist challenge, but it’s also in our nature to pursue reward and pleasure. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that when we achieve arm balances like Crow pose or even Handstand that it is the only reward. It’s the road in “pursuit” of these postures where we truly achieve reward. When we cultivate the ability to discern what our own path is, what comes is a strong sense of accomplishment and reward. We may never “achieve” Crow pose or Handstand, but what we achieve is a healthier sense of self. We’ve contributed to strength in body and mind. Within the exploration of these drills we develop strength. The exploration formulates the path and provides direction.
Matt’s current online immersion Handstand and Arm Balances is the perfect step towards the achievement of our highest potential.
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Article by Trish Curling
Video Extracted From: Handstand And Arm Balances
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