Bakasana (Crane pose) (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: बकासन, IAST: bakāsana), and the similar Kakasana (Crow pose) (

: काकासन, IAST: kākasana) are balancing asanas in hatha yoga and modern

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...

. In all variations, these are arm balancing poses in which hands are planted on the floor, shins rest upon upper arms, and feet lift up. The poses are often confused, but traditionally Kakasana has arms bent, Bakasana (the crane being the taller bird with longer legs) has the arms straight.

Etymology and origins

The names for the asanas come from the

words बक ''baka'' ("crane") or काक ''kāka'' ("crow"), and आसन ''āsana'' meaning "posture" or "seat". While different yoga lineages use one name or another for the asanas, Dharma Mittra makes a distinction, citing Kakasana as being with arms bent (like the shorter legs of a

crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

) and Bakasana with arms straight (like the longer legs of a crane). B. K. S. Iyengar's 1966 '' Light on Yoga'' describes only Bakasana, with straight arms. In Sivananda Yoga, Swami Vishnudevananda's 1960 '' Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga'' describes only Kakasana, with bent arms. However, practitioners in the west often mistranslate the Sanskrit "Bakasana" as "Crow Pose". These balancing poses can be dated at least to the 17th century ''

Hatha Ratnavali Haṭha yoga is a branch of yoga which uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel the vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word हठ ''haṭha'' literally means "force", alluding to a system of physical techniques. Some haṭha ...

'', where Bakasana is number 62 of the 84 poses said to have been taught by

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The 19th century ''

Sritattvanidhi The ''Sritattvanidhi'' (, "The Illustrious Treasure of Realities") is a treatise written in the 19th century in Karnataka on the iconography and iconometry of divine figures in South India. One of its sections includes instructions for, and ill ...

'' describes and illustrates both Kakasana and Bakasana. In his 1969 book ''Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha'', Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga uses the name Bakasana for a different pose entirely ( Dandayamana Janushirsasana, pose 5 in Bikram Yoga).

Description

These asanas are arm balances. In Crow Pose, the knees rest on the bent elbows. In Crane Pose, the elbows are straight and the knees are just above the shoulders, requiring flexibility in the hips. According to B.K.S. Iyengar there are two techniques for entering the poses. The simple method is by pushing up from a crouching position. The advanced method is to drop down from

Shirshasana Shirshasana (Sanskrit: शीर्षासन, IAST: śīrṣāsana) Salamba Shirshasana, or Yoga Headstand is an inverted asana in modern yoga as exercise; it was described as both an asana and a mudra in classical hatha yoga, under different ...

(yoga headstand). Some vinyasa yoga practitioners jump in and out of Crane/Crow via Downward-Facing Dog Pose. This can be practised in stages.

Variations

Asymmetric variations include: * Parsva Bakasana (Side Crane Pose) in which one thigh rests on the opposite upper arm and the other leg is stacked on top of the first. * Eka Pada Bakasana/Kakasana (One-Legged Crane/Crow Pose respectively) in which one leg remains in Bakasana while the other extends straight back.

Preparation

The arms and shoulders can be strengthened for Crane/Crow by practising moving from High Plank to Low Plank. Other preparatory poses include

Downward Dog Pose Downward Dog Pose or Downward-facing Dog Pose, also called Adho Mukha Shvanasana ( sa, अधोमुखश्वानासन; IAST: ''Adho Mukha Śvānāsana''), is an inversion asana, often practised as part of a flowing sequence of po ...

Virasana Virasana ( sa, वीरासन; IAST: ''vīrāsana'') or Hero Pose is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. Medieval hatha yoga texts describe a cross-legged meditation asana under the same name. Supta Virasana is the reclining form ...

(Hero Pose), and Malasana (Garland Pose).

Claims

Twentieth century advocates of some schools of yoga, such as B. K. S. Iyengar, made claims for the effects of yoga on specific organs, without adducing any evidence. Iyengar claimed that this pose "strengthens the arms and

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso ...

organs since the latter are contracted."

References

Sources

* * * {{Hatha yoga Balancing asanas Medieval Hatha Yoga asanas Core strength asanas