Crane A·B · Bakasana A·B
Bakasana A·B · 바카사나 · 두루미 자세
Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Leg-Behind-Head & Arm Balances
Breath: 5×2 · Drishti (gaze): nose tip
Squat, perch the knees high near the armpits, gaze forward, and let the weight travel into the hands until the feet float. B enters by jumping from downward dog straight onto the arms — folding and lifting from the core while negotiating the fear of falling.
Alignment
- Hands — planted shoulder-width, fingers spread and gripping the floor
- Feet — drawn up toward the hips, toes pointed
- Knees — high on the upper arms near the armpits (B enters by jumping)
- Gaze — one point on the floor ahead of the hands, floating by tipping forward
Entering the pose
- Squat, hands shoulder-width
- Knees high toward the armpits
- Gaze forward, shift the weight, lift
Common mistakes
- Looking at the feet and somersaulting
- The elbows winging outward
Modifications & props
- A bolster before the face deletes the fear of landing on it — and courage to send the weight forward appears.
- Starting with the feet on a block buys the height to place the knees on the arms.
- For B's jump, practice hips-rising-high before knees-touching-arms — the landing is a by-product of height.
Benefits
- Weight-bearing strength for wrists, arms, shoulders
- Learning to fold and lift from the core
- The first negotiation with the fear of falling
Role in the sequence
With the backbend mountain crossed, the series changes register to balancing on the arms. A is entered from the ground, but B is jumped from downward dog, the knees landing on the arms mid-air — Intermediate's first demand for airborne control, on which Karandavasana and every jumped entry of the Advanced series stands.
Practice notes
Baka means crane. Balancing on the arms with the knees on the upper arms exists in nearly every school, but Ashtanga's B enters in a way you rarely see elsewhere: you jump from sitting and land directly on the arms rather than placing the knees first. A is closer to building that landing position from stillness.
The principle of every arm balance is the same. What lifts you is the centre of gravity, not the arms. The shoulders must travel forward of the wrists before the hips can rise, and if they do not, no amount of arm strength will get the feet off the floor. The real obstacle, then, is the instinct to lean back for fear of tipping over.
If falling on your face is the fear, fold a blanket in front of you and practise there. Once a landing place exists, the body allows itself to move forward — and at that moment the pose appears. Through the two sets of five breaths, grip the floor with the fingertips to catch the small wobbles.
Two checks: is the back rounded (Bakasana is a rounded-back pose, not a flat-back one), and are the elbows stacked over the wrists rather than splaying outward? Attempting the jump of B only after A is steady is not being slow; it is being sensible.
A cushion in front dissolves the fear.
Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: .
This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, injured, or have a medical condition, consult a qualified teacher or physician before practising. Disclaimer & Legal Notice
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