How To Do Side Crow Pose

Whether you are looking for a new way to challenge your yoga practice, or searching for a new way to challenge your core body, side crow pose is for you! Side crow pose is a challenging arm balance posture that engages not only a great deal of upper body strength but a ton of core strength, particularly your obliques. Similar to the traditional crow pose, you will learn to deepen your core muscle strength and balance you own body weight on your arms. If you want to learn how to do side crow pose, we suggest you start with the traditional crow pose and then, once you have it down, move on to the side crow.

The side crow pose is definitely not a beginner pose, but if you take it slowly and go step by step, you will get better every time you try. Side crow relies on arm and shoulder strength to hold the body weight up. It also uses your entire core, but particularly your obliques to hold the weight and to practice balance. You will learn that the more you pull the abdominals in, the more steady you are able to hold the pose.

If you are looking to tone the back of your arms, sidecrow pose is for you. If you are looking for new ways to enhance your core strength, side crow pose is definitely for you. Maybe you are a yogi who needs a kickbutt challenge. If so, balance is always a surefire way to provide a challenge and arm balance even moreso. Side crow pose is certainly a challenging pose, but it can be learned if you are willing to be patient and take a few falls you will be proud the first time your body finds the right position and stays there!

1) Begin on feet, crouched down with tailbone between ankles and hands in prayer at chest.

2) Fan hands open and place them flat on floor to the right of your right foot.

3) Bend elbows to create a “shelf” and set hips on right arm shelf and bent knees on left arm shelf.

4) Squeeze core tightly as you lift your feet off the floor and hold.

5) Breathe and hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides.