It’s common to get rattled by arm balanc-
es. “Falling flat on your face” is a metaphor
for failure, and with these poses it’s an all-
too-literal de scription of what can happen.
So if you’re like most people, you ap proach
arm balances with anxiety, fearing that your
arms may not be strong enough to get you
airborne. To keep from crashing, you tap
into some hard-edged determination. Your
knuckles turn white; your face turns red;
and you push, push, push.
You might manage to lift off. But it
takes more than muscle power and deter-
mination to perch comfortably in a pose
like Baka sana (Crane Pose; see photo at
left). What’s often over looked is that arm
balances require you to relax deeply and re-
lease many of your joints and muscles. You
need suppleness in your groins, hamstrings,
hips, knees, and torso just to get into the
shape of most of the poses; once you devel-
op this, you won’t have to work so hard.
That’s not to say you can forget all about
strength. But if your upper body is strong
enough to support a healthy Plank Pose,
you probably don’t need any more arm
strength than you already have.True, you may need to build core
strength by making poses such as Paripurna
Navasana (Full Boat Pose) part of your reg-
ular routine. But if you struggle with arm
balances, shift your energies away from
bulking up those biceps. Try this friendlier,
and perhaps counterintuitive, approach
that emphasizes opening and relaxing.
You’ll use two key pre paratory poses to
open your joints and get your body deeply
familiar with the shape of each of three
main arm balances: Bakasana, Par sva
Bakasana (Side Crane Pose), and
Bhu ja pi dasana (Shoulder-Pressing Pose).
Perhaps the most important thing is to
cultivate a playful, curious, and nonstriving
attitude. The feeling of weightlessness and
confidence that you can find in these pos-
tures (not to mention their striking beauty)
tends to arouse a sense of attachment.
Notice if you become overly intense in
your desire to perform the poses. If that
happens, let go and search for the delicate
balance between effort and relaxation. Use
the explor ation of these postures as a way
to practice meeting any challenge with un-
derstanding, acceptance, and resilience.The key to mastering arm balances is relaxation, not super-strength. Breathe easy.
ARM YOURSELF
»
by Jason Crandell photography by Katrine Naleid
arms & shoulders
YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH YOGAJOURNAL.COM 27