The crow pose — or kakasana — is an advanced yoga pose that trains balance and upper body strength through the engagement of the arms, wrists, shoulders, and core. Kakasana combines the Sanskrit words “kaka” (crow) and “asana” (pose). It was designed to resemble a standing crow, with the hands and arms representing the crow’s feet and legs and the legs representing its tail.
The crow pose involves lifting your folded body using your arms. As a strength-building pose, the crow pose is often included in hatha yoga sequences.
As an active pose, the crow pose yields multiple physical and mental benefits. It challenges the body and mind to train flexibility, strength, balance, and focus.
The crow pose requires you to carry your body weight for an extended period of time. Your upper body builds strength as it lifts you up, while your lower body builds strength as it maintains alignment.
The following muscle groups are strengthened in the crow pose:
The crow pose stretches out multiple muscle groups. Repeated stretching improves flexibility and extends the body’s range of motion. Affected muscles include:
Stretching out these muscles makes them easier to move. This reduces your risk of incurring pain when engaging in physical activities such as running, walking, or other exercises.
The crow pose forces you to maintain stability as you work against gravity’s pull on your body. Staying upright is impossible without first training your sense of balance and bodily awareness (proprioception). As you grow familiar with the movements and alignments, you gain a better sense of where your body is in space, which helps maintain stability.
The trained proprioception helps you move easily as you engage in physically challenging activities. Individuals with good proprioception, for example, are more likely to successfully execute complex tasks, such as balancing on a beam, doing a backflip, or lifting a heavy object without falling.
The crow pose is as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging. In training your balance, it also trains your concentration. You need to mentally steel yourself into believing you can maintain alignment and support your own weight without falling, which is a process that deepens your ability to focus.
The crow pose involves balancing your folded body on your flat palms, resembling a standing crow. Here’s how to do it correctly:
The crow pose is often included in hatha yoga sequences, which recommend allotting six to sixty seconds per pose. Because the crow pose is a strenuous and challenging pose, we do not recommend holding the position for longer than what’s comfortable. Anything over a minute might cause unnecessary strain on your wrists.
Although the crow pose is considered an advanced yoga pose, it is doable for anybody with decent upper body strength. Experience with upper body strength training contributes more to the successful execution of the crow pose than experience in yoga — especially if you’re only used to poses that require lower body strength.
Students with limited upper body strength can work their way up to the crow pose by using props. Putting a block under your feet can help you lift your feet off the ground. Alternatively, you can place a block under your forehead for added stability.
The crow pose is one of the more challenging yoga poses. Naturally, many instructors have designed modifications to help students yield the benefits of the pose while meeting it at a more accessible difficulty level.
You can train yourself in these modifications until you’ve built enough skill and confidence for the traditional pose or use the modifications to engage the target muscle groups with reduced strain.
The reclined crow is a great way to experience the alignments of the crow pose without putting your body at risk of overexertion or falling injuries. It’s suitable for individuals with limited upper body strength.
To execute the reclined crow pose, follow the steps below:
While this version of the pose doesn’t train balance, it engages your muscles in a similar way. It prepares you for the alignments of the traditional crow pose, helping you build muscle memory for when you attempt it.
One way to train your balance before crow pose is to use a yoga block for support. If your main struggle in the crow pose is raising your legs, you should position your yoga block under the feet. This will get you used to the elevation while reducing the strength needed to lift your feet.
An alternative to the foot-supporting block is the head-supporting block. If you’re already used to lifting your legs but struggle to hold the position, you can place a block under your head for additional support. This gives you a place to rest your head as you lean in and put weight into your upper body to lift your legs. The added stability helps you build confidence in the pose while reducing fall risks.
The baby crow pose is a modified version of the crow pose that balances the body on the forearm and elbows rather than just the hands. Because the pose raises the body lower and uses a longer base for support, it is easier to execute and hold.
The crow pose is relatively challenging and strenuous. It places a lot of pressure on the wrists, elbows, and arms. It’s not ideal for the following types of students:
The crow pose is an excellent yoga pose for people who want to improve their strength and balance. However, because it is so complex, beginners should train themselves through simplified modifications before tackling the exact pose. These modifications help you prepare your body for the movements and positions required, reducing the risk of injury.
The crow pose is often mistaken for the crane pose, which is a harder version of similar bodily alignments. The main differences between the crane pose and the crow pose are that:
Difficulty is subjective and varies depending on each person’s bodily limits. However, the crow pose is considered an advanced pose that is hard on the wrists and arms. Because it requires a high level of core and upper body strength, it can be challenging to execute correctly on the first try. Typically, training through preparatory poses is necessary.
The crow pose is hard on the wrists, core, and arms. A gentle forward bend can help neutralize the strained areas. The child pose, for example, passively stretches the muscles around the arms and hips, which can provide relief after the crow pose.
