Crane Pose

I have witnessed an injury just this week in class. It taught me that it is so very important to first off, listen to your body & secondly, distribution of weight. The lady in question, popped her thumb, possibly broken but more likely dislocated.

Perfecting this pose, safely, really requires a good warm up. Many salutations & downward dogs, planks, side planks, and cobras. Even a great hip opener in the Galand pose. But mostly, as you are in Galand to open up those hips, rotate your wrists from left to right, warming them up, and stretching them.
From Galand pose, you want to simply tilt forward with your arms infront of you, ready to take balance on the floor. Spread your fingers wide, like you would in downward dog, like a star and pay attention to where your weight is on your hand. You have four corners to your hand & this is where you want your weight to be distributed, not one point more than the other. Finally in an upside down squat, your toes are still touching the floor and all you need is a gentle hop up. *BUT BEFORE*, listen to your body. Do you feel akward, do feel you are not balanced, or do you feel you just can't do it? If you can't do it, it's no problem, you can practice on your tiptoes until you feel the confidence & strength. It could take 2 more practices, it can take 2 more years, there's no time limit! Being on your tiptoes still allows you to benefit from the pose, not as deep, but you'll get there.

Good luck... for those who like this pose and have not tried the Firefly... GO, DO IT!!!! Side Crow is also a nice variation, if you can do side crow, have fun with it & challenge yourself to extending your legs! :)

Don't forget your counter-posture for those wrists, in a standing forward bend, slipping your hands all the way under your feet until you can step on your wrists & gently massage them in this pose!

thankyou

I started yoga as part of P90X, and I encountered this move during the yoga phase of the workout program. It took me about 2 months before I could really get the form down for the pose (I was doing yoga 1-2 times a week). Now, after about five months (and lots of other workouts), I can hold the pose for sixty seconds. I haven't attempted to hold it any longer because I don't want to overdo it and hurt my wrists. I hadn't done any yoga before I started P90X, and I do have to say I love it. It's a great compliment to my other more intensive weight training and cardio workouts. In fact, without yoga I don't think I could perform at my peak.