Getting into Crow Pose

Crow pose had been my nemesis for quite some time. In the two-ish years that I have been practicing yoga I had never been able to get my body balanced in the pose for more than a quick second. However, at the beginning of this year I began to really research different ways to approach the pose and different techniques for achieving balance and being able to hold crow for more than a brief moment. I am not proud to say that I can hold my crow pose for about ten seconds or so, which I am pretty proud to be able to do. Here are a few of the best tips that I used to work my body into the pose.

1. Balance on your toes. When I first started my series of many failed attempts to get into crow, I would always try and lift both of my feet off the ground simultaneously. Instead, try balance on the very tips of both your toes, or even just with your big toes on the mat. Then, lift one foot of the mat and leave the other still supporting some of your weight. Alternate between both feet, letting one always support the other at first. This helped me to start to get a feel for how I needed to support my weight and balance in the pose. 
2. Keep your fingertips spread and forward.  Keep your fingers spread as they would be if you were in downward dog position. This will make it easier for you to balance because your fingers are spread out giving you a wider surface area and more pressure points for the weight of your body to rest on, instead of overloading one specific area. 
3. Allow a bend in the elbow. The ultimate goal of crow pose is to do it with a straight arm. I still have yet to do that, and I don't think that it is entirely necessary to enjoy being in crow pose. I allow my elbows to remain slightly bent when in the pose because it makes it a bit easier to balance and also doesn't put as much pressure on my arms. Keeping a slight bend in the elbow allows me to put more of the balance into my core.
4. Rest your knees. This was the one that really did it for me. While keeping your elbows bent, rest your knees on the backs of your triceps. Sort of like the woman in the photo above. If you combine this technique, along with the shifting between balancing on one foot to the other, you should slowly be able to lift both feet off the ground for small periods of time.

Even when you feel like coming out of the pose, or that you cannot hold both feet off the ground, it may be a good idea to gently go back into resting on the tips of your toes and trying again to build endurance in the pose, and allow you to support your feet off the ground for longer periods of time.

Have you mastered crow pose? What advice can you share?