Mastering Bakasana

Mastering Bakasana

Crow Pose

MASTERING BAKASANA

We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to discern where to go throughout 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 gain a sense of our proprioception in the posture. Proprioception is essentially the understanding of where our bodies are in space. Because this is not necessarily easy, investigating the posture in different planes can assist with this understanding. In addition, 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. 

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

ITALY RETREAT

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Spa & Yoga Retreat
  • Close to the coast line and beaches
  • 2 spa days included (sauna, hot tub, Turkish bath)
  • Morning and early-evening yoga with Matt
  • Daytime free for adventures or to enjoy Ayurvedic massage and treatments
  • Connect with incredible yogis from around the world!
  • ALL LEVELS and all ages 18-85 appropriate
  • Skillfully guided experience: yoga, meditation, breathwork
  • Biomechanics and inspirational philosophy
  • Welcoming and communal group of yogis!

MALASANA POSE POSITIONING

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates variations of Bakasana with techniques that help prepare our bodies for this challenging arm balance. The first variation we see is in a Malasana Pose position, which is essentially Bakasana in a squatted position. As Matt always teaches, such variations take some of the complexity out of the posture and help up home in on the foundations.  

Here, we focus on placing the knees onto the outer arms and squeezing the knees in. 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 extending the arms 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.

WATCH THE VIDEO

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 squeezing the inner thighs into the outer arms in order to activate the adductors.

The benefit of practicing this variation is a better understanding of the tension and strength required for the balanced variation; Bakasana on our back is the next stepping stone in developing stability and control. As we move into the balanced variation, we rely on this strength and patterning.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

GET LIGHTER

When we start to implement the balance in Bakasana, we feel the heaviness of supporting our body weight. What we need to strive for is a lightness in the posture, which we access 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 shift our weight forward. If we don’t have a good sense of proprioception, this is when the pose can fall apart. Matt brings our attention to shifting the weight out of our feet and into our hands. From here, we grip the hands more, which helps us feel more secure when leaning forward. This is where the lightness is achieved.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

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, in other words, to knowing which variation we need to grasp before we move towards the next. As we progress through the course of exploration, it definitely also refers to proprioception: We need to 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, we embrace the journey of our practice rather than an end goal. It’s through this deepened self-awareness that we can feel the subtle shifts and adjustments that lead to progress. 

A few spots have opened up in Matt’s 2025 Italy Retreat! Secure your spot here.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Step into the Fire Workshop

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To TitibhasanaKurmasanaTURTLE POSE TO TITIBHASANA Turtle Pose is not tiny by any means.  There is a great deal that goes into its preparation.  At the same time, it’s also an excellent preparatory posture for Titibhasana.  The journey between these two...

read more
Full Wheel

Full Wheel

Full WheelUrdhva DhanurasanaFULL WHEEL Teaching an intentional class becomes inevitable when following the Chromatic system that Matt created .  In Chromatic, we’re following a system that sets up the body for maximum execution within our fullest potential.  When it...

read more
Mastering Bakasana

Mastering Bakasana

Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to...

read more
Tuck Jumps

Tuck Jumps

Tuck JumpsHandstandTUCK JUMPS Tuck jumps can be a confidence booster when it comes to preparing for handstands. They're not the first step in the course of preparation, but they're definitely a way of identifying where strength and proprioception require attention.  ...

read more
Counter Rotations

Counter Rotations

Counter RotationsStabilityCOUNTER ROTATIONS The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even...

read more
Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise, we’re balancing while binding, which can be quite an undertaking. Preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility, and a tremendous amount of strength. What we also need to be...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Arm Balance Transitions

Arm Balance Transitions

kakasana

ARM BALANCE TRANSITIONS

Arm balance postures can be challenging enough without attempting to layer on a smooth transition in and out of them. However, fluid transitions are a natural progression in our yoga practice; they also provide another way to challenge our potential and our body control between postures. In particular, the road to executing a transition in and out of Crow Pose may at first appear daunting, but when armed with the right tools, techniques, and beliefs, we quickly learn to appreciate the process itself. The education we receive from today’s video helps us incrementally break down the steps of each transition in and out of Crow Pose. This aids not only our individual practice but also in how we might guide our students if we are yoga teachers.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

THE POSE FACTORY

WAITLIST NOW OPEN

  • Dogmatic alignment versus functional alignment
  • Learn popular postural pitfalls
  • Myths versus truth
  • Formulaic approach for comprehensive learning
  • Excellent guide for yoga enthusiasts
  • Must-have for yoga teachers
  • Joint-health awareness
  • Muscle integrity, range of motion
  • Props for accessibity
  • Alignment alterations in the case of injuries

SLIDE INTO CROW

When sliding from Plank to Crow (the first transition), we start on all fours. First, we protract the shoulder blades and round the spine. Once this is set up, we alternate by pulling each  knee towards the outside of the triceps. These actions provide a good reading of the hip flexors in order to see if we have enough range of motion. If this is limited, more strength is required.  

After range of motion is established, we can explore further. An example would be to maintain a lift of the knees off of the ground during the drill, eventually moving the legs back further into a Plank position and finally balancing Crow.

It’s the finer details, however, that make a large impact. Leaning forward as the legs go back and forth is imperative. In addition, activating the adductors by hugging the knees into the triceps will make Crow more accessible. 

WATCH THE VIDEO

ARM BALANCE TRANSITIONS : CULTIVATE PROFICIENCY IN CROW POSE SLIDES

CROW TO CHATURANGA

Even though the transition from Crow to Chaturanga is a “jump back,” Matt teaches us to still treat it like a slide. He demonstrates how this will encourage more control and ease. He also mentions that this transition may even be easier than the more common transition from Uttanasana to Chaturanga. This may be because the feet are already elevated (if we’re balancing Crow), so we simply straighten the legs and slide back. It makes sense then that even if we are not elevating the feet, but our bodies are in the shape of Crow with the toes pointed, we can still slide back, making the “jump back” more graceful and refined. Beyond sliding back, it is essential to keep the weight in the hands and allow the chest to go forward as the feet are gliding back.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

DOWNWARD DOG, PLANK, CROW, CHATURANGA

As it is the Chromatic way to break things down into a digestible, step-by-step approach, Matt dials back the “jump forward” transition into Crow. In this dissection, we go from Downward Dog to Plank to Crow, and then floating back to Chaturanga. One of the most important things about the Chromatic approach is our attention to the process. Exploring in this way helps us learn more about our bodies and guide our next steps. If we adopt an attitude of playfulness, we’re more inclined to stay present and release the pressure of a results-oriented attitude. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that we don’t see results; it’s just that the results may not be what we expect. For example, if we don’t balance in Crow after the transition, we are still strengthening the physical body and training the nervous system, which cultivates an imprint for transformation.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

JUMP IN

Armed with more playfulness, we offer ourselves the permission to jump into further action. We will only take this next step of exploring this transition if we already have the ability to confidently balance in Crow.  

In this final transition, we are literally jumping into Crow straight from Downward Dog. We see in the video that we are still encouraged to take a “step back” in preparation. Matt demonstrates that this is done by shortening the distance between the feet and hands in Downward Dog and then proceeding to jump forward. Maintaining the mechanics of keeping the feet low while maintaining a “sliding” energy during the transition will help us refine our skills.

Click here to be added to the waiting list for Matt’s next online course, The Pose Factory, if you’re interested in further refining your foundational skills.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: MOVE Immersion 

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To TitibhasanaKurmasanaTURTLE POSE TO TITIBHASANA Turtle Pose is not tiny by any means.  There is a great deal that goes into its preparation.  At the same time, it’s also an excellent preparatory posture for Titibhasana.  The journey between these two...

read more
Full Wheel

Full Wheel

Full WheelUrdhva DhanurasanaFULL WHEEL Teaching an intentional class becomes inevitable when following the Chromatic system that Matt created .  In Chromatic, we’re following a system that sets up the body for maximum execution within our fullest potential.  When it...

read more
Mastering Bakasana

Mastering Bakasana

Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to...

read more
Tuck Jumps

Tuck Jumps

Tuck JumpsHandstandTUCK JUMPS Tuck jumps can be a confidence booster when it comes to preparing for handstands. They're not the first step in the course of preparation, but they're definitely a way of identifying where strength and proprioception require attention.  ...

read more
Counter Rotations

Counter Rotations

Counter RotationsStabilityCOUNTER ROTATIONS The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even...

read more
Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise, we’re balancing while binding, which can be quite an undertaking. Preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility, and a tremendous amount of strength. What we also need to be...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Learn To Lift In Lolasana

Learn to Lift in Lolasana

Crucial Techniques for Takeoff

pendant pose

LEARN TO LIFT IN LOLASANA

If you read my previous blog about One-Legged Crow, then you’ll know it started off with how much Matt stresses leaning forward in that posture (and in most arm balances in fact). I could start here in exactly the same way because leaning forward is truly the best place to start when you’re trying to learn to lift in Lolasana; however, it’s wishful thinking to believe that it is as simple as that. Today, Matt provides not only the variations to explore but also exactly what leaning forward entails, particularly when it comes to Lolasana. This pose is unique in that it requires an astonishing amount of hip flexor strength in order to actually achieve the lift. The variations and techniques Matt offers today provide a clearly defined path to strengthen your body and to more deeply develop the areas that may be the hurdle to actually achieving Lolasana.

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PUSH MUSCLES

Before you lean forward, creating the right shape with your body is imperative. To this end, you will be placing your awareness on activating specific muscle groups to support where you’re required to be in space in order to learn to lift in Lolasana. Activating and strengthening your push muscles will support this endeavor. Your serratus anterior helps to protract the scapulae, which is important because the amount of space between you and the ground is vital—you need enough room for lift-off. While you’re creating space between your shoulder blades as a result of the push of the hands, you’re contracting the chest muscles, which fires up the triceps. Being aware of how one action informs the next will help you find the amount of lean required for this arm balance.

WATCH THE VIDEO

LEARN TO LIFT IN LOLASANA:  CRUCIAL TECHNIQUES FOR TAKEOFF

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN LEANING FORWARD?

One thing you’ll come to understand very quickly when you practice with Matt is that nothing works in isolation. You’ll hear him refer to the “team effort” of the actions that are layered to create the desired output. This is the Chromatic way. For example, the push muscles help inform the shape of your body, and one of the push muscles’ teammates is wrist extension. An appropriate amount will help propel your body forward with control. When you examine Lolasana step by step, you’ll see that your shoulders are required to move in front of your wrists. Once this is achieved, Matt explains that it will encourage increased “lightness” in the legs in order for you to take flight.  Knowing this will allow you to learn to lift in Lolasana, but first, you must find confidence in the direction of the lean.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

KEY ACTIONS IN LOLASANA

Among the variations in today’s video, you’ll gain some great insight into how to place your hands on blocks. This is an important step in early preparation. Using blocks under your hands both supports the required amount of wrist extension and assists your hip flexors so that you won’t have to lift them as high as in the variations without blocks. Following the variations in the order that Matt provides them is always advisable. Understanding the key action of the posture will also help to unfold where you need to place your attention.

Key Actions:

  1. Grip your fingers into the ground
  2. Lean forward enough for the shoulders to move ahead of the wrists (like you’re going to do a somersault) 
  3. Push the floor or blocks away to protract the scapulae
  4. Pull your knees into your chest
  5. Lift your feet off of the ground
300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

THE OVERLAP IN ARM BALANCES

Even though arm balances share a high degree of challenge and are unique in their own ways, they also share a certain amount of overlap. This crossover allows you to work on techniques that can unlock other arm balances in your physical yoga practice. Wrist extension and shoulder protraction are the most obvious actions that overlap and are required for most arm balances. Lolasana is extremely challenging, but it provides an opportunity to step back and work on these 2 actions before you can even consider adding in the element of the lift.  

In Matt’s immersion Flow and Fly, not only will you acquire the skills to learn to lift in Lolasana, but you’ll also learn the techniques that overlap in a wide variety of arm balances. 

Jump in so that you can take the steps to lean, lift, and fly!

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Flow and Fly

online classes for anatomy of arm balances

FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

  • 12 Vinyasa-style practices
  • Increase your cardiovascular activity
  • Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
  • Improve balance and proprioception
  • Accessible modifications and sequences
  • Appropriate variations for your level of practice
  • Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
  • ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

MORE INFORMATION

Continue Learning

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To Titibhasana

Turtle Pose To TitibhasanaKurmasanaTURTLE POSE TO TITIBHASANA Turtle Pose is not tiny by any means.  There is a great deal that goes into its preparation.  At the same time, it’s also an excellent preparatory posture for Titibhasana.  The journey between these two...

read more
Full Wheel

Full Wheel

Full WheelUrdhva DhanurasanaFULL WHEEL Teaching an intentional class becomes inevitable when following the Chromatic system that Matt created .  In Chromatic, we’re following a system that sets up the body for maximum execution within our fullest potential.  When it...

read more
Mastering Bakasana

Mastering Bakasana

Mastering BakasanaCrow PoseMASTERING BAKASANA We may never truly master a posture, but as we go on a journey of exploration towards our greatest potential within our asana practice, we most definitely become masters of our own awareness—cultivating the ability to...

read more
Tuck Jumps

Tuck Jumps

Tuck JumpsHandstandTUCK JUMPS Tuck jumps can be a confidence booster when it comes to preparing for handstands. They're not the first step in the course of preparation, but they're definitely a way of identifying where strength and proprioception require attention.  ...

read more
Counter Rotations

Counter Rotations

Counter RotationsStabilityCOUNTER ROTATIONS The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even...

read more
Bird Of Paradise

Bird Of Paradise

Bird of ParadiseSvarga DvijasanaBIRD OF PARADISE In Bird of Paradise, we’re balancing while binding, which can be quite an undertaking. Preparation for this posture requires shoulder mobility, hip mobility, and a tremendous amount of strength. What we also need to be...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pin It on Pinterest