How to strike a crane pose

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Bakasana — one of the most effective poses in yoga. Having seen as it looks, someone has an unrestrained desire to immediately reproduce this trick, others are sure that without special long-term training it is absolutely impossible to make it. Strangely enough, the mistake is made at the same time by both those, and others.

Biomechanics of joints and the involved muscles

Literal translation of the word bakasan from Sanskrit — a crane pose. Really, having drawn in knees to a stomach and standing on some hands, the person from outside reminds this big long-legged bird.

The main working mechanism in the bakasena are the luchezapyastny joints bent to the outer side (from themselves), however when keeping balance on hands the process joins also other joints:

Groups of joints	Biomechanics
Knee	Bending
Coxofemoral	Bending with an external turn (an inclination back) and the movement of legs inside to the symmetry plane
Humeral	Bending with an external turn and the direction of hands inside to the symmetry plane
Elbow	Bending with effort in the opposite direction
Forearms	Inclination forward
Shoulders-scapular	Cultivation, lowering
Backbone, cervical department	Extension
Backbone, chest department	Bending
Backbone, lumbar department	Bending

Whether you know? In traditional yoga there are many poses called in honor of animals or plants with addition of a root of dignity (from asana — a steady and comfortable position). For example, Padma is a lotus, a vriksh — a tree, a garud — an eagle, a bkheka — a frog, Kaká — a raven, Cucuta — a rooster, Makar — a crocodile, a mayura — a peacock, a cowl — a pigeon, a bkhudzhanga — a cobra, a kurma — a turtle, Cucuta — a rooster, a krauncha — a heron, an ashva — a horse, mardzhar — a cat, a simkha — a lion, a titibkha — a glowworm, a shishanka — a hare, an ushtra — a camel, etc.

When performing a bakasana a significant amount of various muscles of a trunk, hands and legs is given to a positive phase (tension connected with reduction, a weight raising), namely:

Case, neck, head

Upper extremities

Lower extremities

upper bone muscle of the head;

back direct muscles of the head;

deep muscles of a neck (back and front);

trapezoid muscle;

podostny and nadostny muscles;

backbone muscles-razgibateli;

subscapular muscle;

big pectoral muscle;

small pectoral muscle;

diamond-shaped muscles of a back (big and small);

front gear muscle;

podvzdoshny muscle;

lumbar muscles (big and small);

muscles of a pelvic bottom;

oblique muscles of a stomach (external and internal);

direct and cross muscles of a stomach

klyuvovidno-humeral muscle;

small round muscle;

deltoid muscle;

the rotating shoulder cuff;

three-headed muscle;

biceps;

muscles-pronatory (square and round);

wrist muscles-sgibateli (beam and elbow);

muscles of brushes and fingers of hands

edge muscle;

the bringing muscles (long, short, big);

medial group of muscles of a hip;

hip biceps;

muscles of a shin of back group;

muscles of a hip of back group (semi-tendinous, semi-webby)

Important! The pose of a crane belongs to the power asanas giving high load of a cardiovascular system.

Advantage

Mastering the bakasana equipment well is reflected both in physical, and in an emotional condition of the person as allows:

to learn to listen and hear language of own body;
to reach harmony with itself, to get rid of cargo of insignificant and vain experiences;
to improve concentration, to strengthen memory, to stimulate brain activity;
to normalize work of many bodies and systems, first of all respiratory, cardiovascular, blood;
to get rid of excess weight;
to refuse a set of addictions (without it it is almost impossible to master a bakasana);
to visually improve a condition of skin;
to adjust a digestive tract;
to stretch and work various groups of muscles, to give them elasticity, elasticity and relief (first of all it touches a waist, a press, plechy, hands and hips);
to strengthen and extend a backbone;
to increase the general endurance;
to improve coordination and a vestibular mechanism;
to increase self-confidence;
to master self-control science, to get a habit to look positively at the world and it is easy to cope with stresses and unexpected difficulties.

Contraindications and precautionary measures

In spite of the fact that the bokasana in yoga is considered exercise of average degree of complexity and, according to instructors, the physical force, how many ability to hold balance is necessary for its performance not so much, it is obvious that only completely healthy and well trained person can master a handstand.

Important! It is very useful for Bakasang to master at young age and to practice regularly for prevention of age changes of sinews, cartilages and joints that first of all is shown by pains in a waist and a back.

It is not necessary to try to master a crane pose at:

pregnancies irrespective of term;
infectious diseases of a head or spinal cord;
injuries and other diseases of a backbone;
problems with mobility of joints (their mobility both lowered, and increased is dangerous);
inguinal hernias;
any problems with wrists (injuries, tumors, pains, numbness of fingers, etc.);
serious diseases of a cardiovascular system, including the heart diseases, heart failure which are had within 12 months heart attacks or strokes;
the increased arterial or intra cranial blood pressure, thrombosis or thrombophlebitis;
osteochondrosis, gout, arthritis, arthrosis, other damages of joints;
recently undergone operations, especially in a thorax or an abdominal cavity;
oncological diseases;
pathological changes of a blood system;
any inflammatory processes in a sharp form (ulcers, gastritises, pancreatitis, catarrhal diseases, etc.);
pains of any nature;
the mental diseases and boundary frustration causing consciousness changes;
hyper fatigue.

Whether you know? Literally asana means not pose as it is considered to be, and the action connected with sitting (as in Sanskrit means to sit, ana is the suffix doing a verb of a noun).

In order to avoid injuries and other troubles during development of a pose of a crane it is necessary to observe the following precautionary measures:

to start performance of an asana only after carrying out full preparation in the form of a training course from the special bringing exercises;
not to seek to overtake itself, setting records of speed of development, height of rise, deduction duration, etc. — in yoga everything has to be natural and harmonious;
to begin occupations with the warming muscle and joints of warm-up;
to watch closely technology of performance of an asana, without allowing excess of natural amplitude of mobility of joints;
to listen to the body, to respect its opportunities, to adapt to them and to immediately stop the movement if it causes an acute pain;
at the first stages to enclose before itself the soft blanket put several times that in case of falling to soften blow.

How to prepare the body

The yoga is not just physical education in usual, European understanding of this word. The idea of management of own body on the basis of spiritual and physical self-improvement is the basis for the Old Indian doctrine, thus, gymnastic exercises represent only one of the parties of a long Way to harmony here.

Whether you know? Hindus believe that Shiva knew eight million and four hundred thousand different asanas, and this number corresponded to the number of living beings on the earth.

It is better for that who is adjusted to surprise friends with ability to stand on hands to do artistic gymnastics, in the bakasena the main thing is not to raise the body unusually and, balancing, to hold it in such pose several seconds on a bet. The pose of a crane can be called an asana only when it becomes really convenient and steady when, being in it, the person can meditate, having focused on the processes happening in it.

For this reason before passing to development of a bakasana, it is necessary to prepare carefully not only the body, but also spirit.

Important! It is considered that the bakasana can be mastered not earlier than the third year after the beginning of regular trainings by yoga. Only in this case hands reach necessary force, the body gains skill of deduction of balance in any pose, and the emotional system gains the necessary level of stability.

As preparatory work it is necessary to master at least twelve simpler asanas:

Name of an asana	Translation from Sanskrit	Essence and technology of performance
Adho Mukh Shvanasan	dog muzzle down	The emphasis on widely placed hands and feet, basin is lifted up, knees direct, the head is hung. A body with a floor create a triangle with top at the level of buttocks.
Uttkhita Parshvakonasana	pose of the extended side corner	Intensive side extension on the diagonal at which the left hand extended behind the head continues the line of the case and the left leg which is also extended aside. The right leg is bent in a knee and developed aside, the right hand rests a palm against a floor behind the right leg (a palm and foot in parallel to each other). The face is developed to the left shoulder up. Similarly in the opposite direction.
Baddh of a konasan	pose of a butterfly	Legs are bent in knees before themselves, soles are pressed to each other as hands in a prayer. Heels touch a crotch. Hands take toes or stand on a floor behind the back. A look before.
Virasana	hero's pose	Sitting between heels. A foot and caviar of legs cover buttocks from both sides, knees are shifted to the case. The backbone is completely straightened. Hands before in prayful situation or on a lap palms up. A look before.
Kumbkhakasana	level pose	Level on outstretched arms or on the bent elbows. Body absolutely direct. Weight is distributed between socks of legs and palms (elbows).
Vasishtkhasana	pose of the divine wise man Vasishtkhi	Side level. It is carried out from a kumbkhakasana or adho a mukha of a shvanasana by a case turn aside, a raising of one hand in the party - up and laying of one foot over another. The emphasis is transferred to a palm of one hand and a side part of foot.
Dangdasang's Chaturanga	stick pose on four support	Level on the bent and widely placed elbows (the lower position at push-up from a floor). Weight is distributed between toes and palms, the case absolutely direct, the person looks down.
Ardh Bkhudzhangasan	pose of a sphinx	The deflection of a backbone and raising of the top part of the building is carried out from a prone position on a stomach. The arms bent in elbows remain to lie on a floor before themselves, legs straight, toes are extended. Buttocks are strained, but not clamped. The pose reminds the cat lying on a stomach with the paws exposed forward.
Tadasana	mountain pose	Straight line and firm vertical rack standing. The chin is slightly lowered to feeling of a muscle strain on a nape. The back is straightened, shovels are taken away back, hands are a little divorced and developed by palms forward, legs are cramped, but fingers are standing placed in the parties as tree roots.
Mardzharisana	pose of a cat	Emphasis on knees and palms of hands in situation on all fours. The back is most bent to a floor, the head is raised by a chin up. On an exhalation the back is curved up as the stretching cat does, on a breath caves in to a floor.
Malasana	garland pose	Exit from a tadasana. Heels stay together, socks get divorced in the parties. The practician falls to a deep squat, extending hands before himself and slightly concerning floor finger-tips, but not leaning on them. The tailbone is pressed to heels, the head is hung to a breast. In more advanced option, in process of a training, it is necessary to rest fingers of widely placed hands against a floor and, without tearing off heels from a floor, to transfer body weight to a basin, taking away it back and tightening to a floor.
Garudasana	pose of an eagle	Exit from a tadasana. The right leg twists left around so that the calves of the right leg touched a back part of a knee left, and the thumb rested against the top part of the left foot. The right hand twists left, the right palm covers from above left, developed to it towards. In such situation, having lowered a body as low as possible, it is necessary to keep balance not less than thirty seconds.

Among the usual power exercises preparing a body for development of a pose of a crane it is necessary to put emphasis on push-ups from a floor. It is necessary for transition to the bakasena without efforts and breaks to carry out not less than ten push-ups with the faultless equipment. Also the strong press is not less important. Twisting of all types, raising of legs, scissors and other exercises for pumping of different muscles of a stomach will allow to hold correctly in a crane pose legs and to assume a part of loading, releasing wrists.

Important! Five main bird's asanas — a bakasana, a garudasana, a kapotasana, a mayyurasana and a kakkutasana — are based on the same principle: the divorced shovels (the spread wings) are combined with the compressed breast and the unbent neck (the extended beak).

Technology of performance

The simplified option of a pose of a crane is carried out according to the following scheme (step by step):

Basic situation — a malasana.
Palms are laid on the floor before themselves at the level of shoulders, feet rise on toes, nestling to each other. The look is directed in a floor between palms.
Knees are moved apart more widely with a simultaneous inclination of the case forward and assignment of a basin back until knees clasp shoulders at the level of armpits. The stomach kind of fails between hips.
Elbows are got under knees, toes are brought to socks. Hands are wide are placed and rest palms against a floor.
Without breakthroughs, smoothly and carefully weight is transferred to hands, then one leg comes off a floor and nestles a foot on a hip. At this stage it is important not to hurry, accustoming with limited points of support.
Having returned a leg on a sock, to tear off the second leg from a floor and to record feelings.
In process of finding of skill when steady confidence in the forces appears, with the easy muscleman forward behind the first leg the second also comes off a floor, then this process will take place at the same time.
To raise a basin back, to open a thorax, to bend a back and to distribute weight between hands, keeping balance. In the bakasena the emphasis is the share of all area of palms and moved apart as it is possible more widely than fingers of hands. It is important to feel how weight passes to the earth through brushes.
In the long term after an otryvaniye of legs from a hand floor in elbows are unbent completely.

Video: technology of performance of a pose of a crane it is possible to tell About successful development of a pose of a crane when the time spent in the corresponding asana makes at least half-minute without application of visible efforts for maintenance of balance (rocking here and there, steps by hands, alternate lowering of legs, etc.) and breath violations.

Exit from an asana passes upside-down: a bend of hands in elbows (if they were unbent), the movement of a basin down, an emphasis on socks, then transition to situation a squat.

Important! The basic moment in performance of a bakasana — psychological. It is connected with overcoming fear to fall face forward, having lost balance.

Subtleties and secrets of performance

Analyzing difficulties which persons interested to master a bakasana meet, it is possible to allocate several subtleties and secrets which should be considered:

the pose of a crane costs on two whales: force of hands and ability to hold balance. If systematically to develop both of these directions, everything surely will turn out;
if it is not possible to get rid of psychological fear of falling, it is possible to put at the initial stages before himself several pillows put at each other and to rest the person against them, tearing off legs from a floor;
to breathe in situation when the thorax is compressed, and legs are pressed to a stomach, quite difficult, but, on the other hand, the correct breath is fundamentals of yoga. For performance of respiratory movements it is necessary to use the top part of a stomach which in the bakasena remains free;
fingers should not lie on a floor freely, they are full-fledged participants of an asana, providing stability of a pose and deduction of weight;
it is impossible to execute a bird's asana, without having spread wings (shovels) and without having extended beak (neck deflection).

About the bokasena it is often possible to hear that she looks effectively, but it is executed very easily. Alas, only people, long and persistently practicing yoga so are able to afford to speak. Even the good athlete cannot do, having accepted the put rack on two hands, to keep in this situation long and steadily.

But, having seized basic asanas, having realized an essence of the Old Indian doctrine about self-improvement and also having pumped over necessary groups of muscles, it is quite possible to teach the body not only to fly up, but also to meditate in a crane pose.

Author: «MirrorInfo» Dream Team