Mat Matters, Episode 7: Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)

I'm a big fan of Parsva Bakasana. Big fan. There's just something about this pose that feels really wonderful to me (and no, it's not my sore wrists). Maybe it's the rinsing action of the twist, or the stability in the arms, but whatever it is, I just find it lovely and really enjoy teaching it in class. 

Whether you feel this way about Parsva Bakasana or not, I think it's time that we had a talk about this fun little arm balance. So, today's Mat Matters video does just that--discusses the mechanics of this pose, two ways to come into it, and how to play once actually in it.

If you haven't already watched my video on The Mechanics of Healthy Spinal Twists, I highly recommend watching it before warming up for Side Crow (you need to do lots of warm-up twists before even attempting this pose!). Also, please remember that this is not a pose that should be attempted cold; I definitely wouldn't teach it until  the second half of a yoga session or class, and wouldn't try it without doing many less-intense twists first. 

As always, you can watch here on the blog or by subscribing to my new Starr Struck YouTube Channel.  And, as I reminded you the last time that we talked about arm balancing, don't forget to breathe when coming into this pose!

If this pose is one you're still working on, you might want to think about making it a personal "pose of the month" for August...wouldn't that be a nice challenge?

Thanks for watching!