Yoga Pose:
Bakasana
Important Note
Take special precautions while doing any asana. If you are learning yoga, then take the advice of a knowledgeable person. Do not put any kind of force in the event of pain or unable to do so. Keep in mind that you will be able to succeed only with constant practice.
Brief Introduction Of The Bakasana
Bakasana is a particular Yoga pose that owes its name to the Sanskrit word ‘Baka’, which stands for ‘Crane”. This asana or pose is named so as it has the practitioner gracefully balanced on his hands, with his body tightly tucked in. It reminds a person of the image of a crane that wades elegantly through a shallow pool.
How To Do The Bakasana?
These are some of the most important steps to perform this posture:
- Perform some warm-up exercises to open up the hips. Try to warm the shoulders, arms and wrists up.
- Enter into the Tadasana pose. Stand upright with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Squat down from that posture.
- Keep your knees wider, and lean ahead. This will make your torso get between your inner thighs.
- Bend your elbows, and put your hands on the floor surface flat.
- Spread your fingers, and keep the back area of your upper arms near your armpits, against your shins.
- Breathe out, and contract the front section of your body.
- Lift your heels and lean ahead. Use your arms to support your body weight.
- Control your abdominal muscles, and go on leaning ahead.
- Lift your coccyx or tailbone, until you manage to lift your feet off the floor completely, and balance yourself on the arms.
- Try to make your arms as straight as you can. Look at a specific point of your floor and a little further, taking care that your head is not lifted so much as to get your nape compressed.
- Hold this posture for anywhere between 10 and 60 seconds. Breathe out gradually and lower your feet slowly back to the floor until you can achieve a low squat position.
Benefits Of The Bakasana
Bakasana has many beneficial effects on the body.
- Strengthens the body - To start with, it can make the upper body areas, especially the shoulders and arms, much stronger. It can also strengthen the abdominal muscles. When you practice this pose regularly, it can increase your physical as well as mental strength.
- Massages the internal organs - It is able to massage the inner organs, and can be useful in developing focus and balance. This is a wonderful precursor pose to the handstand. The most perfect position for entering into Bakasana is resting the knees in the armpits’ hollow areas. It is important to engage the shoulder girdle, flexing the spine and keeping the pelvic floor firm, so as to integrate the way Bakasana works.
- Improves endurance - This pose can give your higher back area a nice stretch. Over a period, it can help you achieve more flexibility as well as improve your endurance capacity. You can work for longer hours without feeling tired.
- Helps with better digestion - As it puts pressure on the abdomen, the abdominal organs are well-massaged. This can help it in improving metabolism and digestion. Even heavy foods can be digested more easily, although it is never advisable that you have too much of spicy or oily foods which are difficult for the body to digest. Light and simple foods are what a yoga practitioner should have, in order to enjoy the best health which can be conducive to his Yoga practice.
- Offers balance and awareness - With this posture, you can learn how to achieve a better balance. It can provide your mind and body with more awareness and make you ready to perform even more intense arm balancing poses. When you practice this pose on a daily routine, it can boost your overall confidence and make you more active. You can feel more happiness and joy.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Bakasana
- As this pose rounds the spine, you would do well to follow it up with another one that takes your spine to the reverse direction. Ustrasana or Camel Pose would be a good follow-up Yoga pose option for Bakasana.
- It must be remembered that this pose is to be avoided by all those who suffer from health problems like injurious conditions of the shoulder, arms or wrist, especially carpel tunnel syndrome.
- This pose is used often for repeatedly transitioning from arm balances of a challenging nature. Thus, it is essential to be fully established in practicing Bakasana, so as to build strength. In case you hastily engage in this pose without proper development of the core muscles, it can put your wrists under strain. Thus, it is essential for you to enter into this posture and perform the pose cautiously.
- It is also important to perform this pose on a soft yoga mat, given that there are risks of falling down. You cannot master this posture overnight, and need plenty of patience, focus and practice to be an expert in it. But do not have the fear of falling dissuade you from practicing it. As it is possible for you to fall many times during the practice, a soft surface is essential to act as a cushion for your body. With constant practice and efforts, this asana can of course be mastered.
- Women should never try this posture while in pregnancy. It can be damaging for their health, as well as for the well-being of their baby in womb.
Conclusion
To the uninitiated, Bakasana might look difficult. It seems to be heavily dependent on the strength of the upper body area. However, entering this pose and holding it depends a lot more on balance and focus as compared to raw strength. Keep in mind that it is among the most vital, and basic arm balance poses. When this posture is mastered by a practitioner, it is possible to perform many other arm balances.
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