Bakasana: The Crane Yoga Pose, Fish Pose - Matyasana

Trev M, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Baka is a Sanskrit word, meaning the crane. While doing the Bakasana, or Vakasana, our body looks like a crane. So it is named       Crane Yoga Pose

How to Do Bakasana

This yoga posture is an easy one. We can do it in three steps.

Step One 

Come in sitting position keeping the soles on the yoga mat. Ensure that there is enough distance between two knees. Now put both the palms on and set the knees so as they come at the level of your elbows.

Step Two

In the second step, you are to bend your torso forward for lifting both the legs upward balancing the whole body on the palms only. While remaining so in this position, keep looking in the front side. Here the Bakasan is complete, and you will look like the figure in the image.

Third Step

To return in the original position first, place the soles on the yoga mat or on the ground. Here the posture is complete.

Benefits of Doing Bakasan The Crane Posture

1. It provides a good stretch to the arms and the nearby muscles.
2. The area of chest becomes strong due to stretching of the muscles.
Precautions

Care should be taken to keep the neck forward while doing the posture. Those who suffer from the lumbar spondylitis or any other problem in neck or back should do this in presence of a trained yoga teacher. The beginners should not remain for more time in this position. While you are in Bakasana, your body is in balance. 

The entire weight of the body comes on just two palms. So you should be careful in balancing your body. After a good practice, it would be easy for you to do the Crane Posture without difficulties. 

The yoga poses which are done by keeping your back on the floor or near the floor are called supine poses or the poses are done by ‘lying face upward’. Such poses manly provide exercises to the leg and hand muscles. In some of the poses, the abdominal muscles and spine are also twisted and get much strain. 

Fish Pose, Matsyasana

Drchirag patel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

While doing any of the above poses, you are to keep one important point in mind: do not overstretch your body. Know the limit of your body and remain within that limit. If you find doing any of the poses difficult, do consult the trained yoga teacher. If you use proper yoga accessories, you would make the yoga experience joyful and helping.

Do try Doing These Supine Yoga Poses

• Bridge Pose: When we do this pose, the pelvic muscles are stretched to its greatest length. This pose provides adequate exercise to many muscles like the pelvic, abdominal and leg muscles. The spinal cord would be bent slightly while doing Bridge Pose or the Dwipada Pitham.

• Plough Pose: This pose helps us stretching the muscles of our waist. So it improves the functioning of our veins. Moreover, it helps to give adequate exercise to other parts of the body, too. While doing Halasana, our spine is stretched in full. It keeps the spine very elastic. If we do this pose regularly, the overall function of the spine is improved greatly.

• Pavanmuktasana, Wind Releasing Pose: If we do this posture regularly after waking up from the sleep in the morning, it would help in regulating the movement of the gases present in the body. It would be much beneficial if you do this pose in the early morning. An important point to be noted is that this pose is to be done before taking any food or drink.

• Urdhva Dhanurasana, Reverse Bow Pose: This posture provide greater stretches to the back muscles. It helps keeping back flexible and the spinal cord smoothly. Its regular practice provides help in that respect. The leg and shoulder muscles are strengthened to its fullest length.

• Shoulder Stand Pose: This is also called Sarvangasana. It benefits our body and mind in several ways. Doing this asana only the face remains upward. The whole body is placed on the strength of the shoulders only. It increases the flow of blood to our brain, and thus it would help in increasing the memory power. 

• Corpse Pose: Known as Shavasana or Relaxation Pose, this posture is done before and after doing a posture. It follows the meaning of its name and provides adequate relief to all the limbs of our body. If it is done before going to sleep, this pose helps in getting immediate and deep sleep.

While doing the above poses your face would be upward. It would put your neck downside. If you feel any pain in your neck, you should use a Yoga Bolster or Yoga Cushion below your neck. It would make you feel comfortable. You can buy a good quality bolster or the cushion from a departmental store that sells yoga accessories like a yoga mat.