Practice Peacock Pose

Practice Peacock Pose

Mayurasana

PRACTICE PEACOCK POSE

We go to our yoga practice for many different reasons at any given time. In our asana practice, we are sometimes seeking softness and ease. At other times, we might be striving for vigour and strength. Peacock Pose is for when we are in pursuit of the latter. The full pose requires an ample amount of strength, but it will equally build strength if we are not yet at that point. Taking steps to practice Peacock Pose means we are ready to jump into the fire of what this arm balance posture has to offer.  

With regard to arm balances, Matt teaches us the concept of “lean, resist, push.” This is what guides us to ultimately finding our balance. The same concept exists in Peacock Pose, except that we must approach the “resist” portion differently. The backwards placement of the hands changes our experience. The muscle engagements are different.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

STEP INTO THE FIRE

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Step-by-step guidance
  • Intelligent and precise warm-up for your body
  • Drills to build and refine your skill sets
  • Essential arm balance techniques
  • All levels appropriate
  • Lifetime access available
  • Live attendance is NOT necessary—you can practice the replays
  • Affordable options available
  • VIP options available

START WITH “SIMPLE” BICEP ACTIVATION

Even though we have many of the traditional principles of an arm balance in Peacock Pose, there’s a lot we can learn from what is different. For example, the placement of the hands is backwards, which makes our hands a pulling force rather than the usual pushing. Our biceps pull us into a position to avoid leaning too much and falling over.

Asana practice, however, does not provide many opportunities for bicep strength. So how do we prepare these muscles, which are integral to the pose? In today’s video, Matt offers two drills that can be incorporated into our practice. 

First, like a bicep curl, you can place one hand on top of the other and resist the push of the top hand by bringing the bottom hand up toward your face or by simply creating an isometric contraction.

Next, on hands and knees, you can pull one hand toward the other, even swiping each hand up to the opposite shoulder.

WATCH THE VIDEO

PRACTICE PEACOCK POSE: PREPARE YOUR PULLING MUSCLES

BADDHA KONASANA VARIATION

As always, progression is key. When it’s time to actually explore Peacock Pose, this Baddha Konasana variation is a great step before we attempt the plank-like position. Why? It’s an option that allows us to create less weight in the pose by having our knees bent.  

To start off, placing some soft support out in front is a good plan, just in case we fall.  

In this Baddha Konasana variation of Peacock Pose, we practice the hand placement and arm setup while creating a diamond shape in the legs.  As we lean forward, we must remember that nothing is stopping us! The biceps (our pulling muscles) need to work. It’s all about pressing our hands into the ground and pulling them towards our face, which will help with the counterbalance. The action will move some weight back towards our feet, which will help us from falling forward.

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

PLANK POSITION FOR PEACOCK POSE

When we arrive in this variation of Peacock Pose, the back muscles are of course involved, but it’s the leaning forward that also takes the legs up.

Additionally, there can be some conversation about the placement of the elbows. With a deeply rounded back, we may get them very low on the belly, even below the belly button, especially during the initial setup phase, but body proportion needs to be taken into consideration. Matt reminds us that when the legs lift up, it can move the belly button area further away from the elbows. It doesn’t mean that they are now in the wrong place.

Essentially, we have the same setup as in the previous variation, but you’ll see in the video that the legs go straight back and we need to be bold with the “lean” element.

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

TAKE CARE AND LEAN

Before we even attempt any variation of Peacock Pose, we must not only prepare the pulling muscles (with bicep drills like those offered in today’s video) but also understand how much we need to lean forward to protect our wrists.  If we are at a 90 degree angle or less, this may cause a lot of pressure on the wrists. Leaning forward will increase the angle and potentially minimize the tension. It’s like a cycle: Unless we prepare the pulling muscles, we will not have the capacity to lean to the necessary degree.  

The beauty of the practice is developing this discernment. We develop a sense for what stage fits our development. Taking care to use this discernment indicates longevity in our bodies and in our practice.  

Prepare to receive step-by-step instruction and education in Matt’s upcoming online arm balance workshop, Step into the Fire.

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: Arm Balance 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

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
A Tree Pose Treatment

A Tree Pose Treatment

A Tree Pose TreatmentVrksasanaA TREE POSE TREATMENT Tree Pose may appear to be a posture we can just “jump into” because of its “accessibility” from anywhere we might be standing, but it definitely requires more refinement than we might think. A treatment to revive...

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