Fun Pose Friday: Fallen Angel
Have your Side Crow down pat? You might be ready to ascend to its heavenly variation, Fallen Angel (Devaduuta Panna Asana in Sanskrit). Fallen Angel is both beautiful and challenging, much like its namesake.
To prepare yourself for Fallen Angel arm balance, you’ll want to make sure you have a good amount of upper-body strength and a solid arm balance practice. Avoid this pose if you’re experiencing any issues or injuries with your neck or shoulders.
Speaking of your neck — the visuals of Fallen Angel are slightly misleading. While it looks like the weight is placed on the side of your neck, you’re actually evenly distributing the weight between your shoulders and hands with your head lightly resting on the mat (much like a headstand). There’s a lot of upper body and core activation occurring behind the scenes to get your body strong and centered in the right place. Make sure you warm up with a few Sun Salutations, twists, and core work before attempting this fun and beautiful arm balance.
How to Do Fallen Angel Pose (Devaduuta Panna Asana)
Begin in a Toe Stand, squatting low with your knees together and heels lifted off the mat.
Engage your core muscles. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and exhale to twist your upper body to the right. Try to keep your lower body facing forward.
Prepare for Side Crow: Place your hands shoulder-distance apart on the mat, spreading your fingers wide and gripping your fingertips. Gaze forward, shift your weight forward, and create a shelf with your arms by bending your elbows and resting your right thigh high up on your upper arms. Lift and activate your feet and gaze off to the left.
To get into Fallen Angel Pose from Side Crow: Carefully lower onto your right temple and cheek, making sure most of the weight is in your arms and hands. Use your lower-body strength to lift your left leg up to the sky while keeping your right knee balanced on your left upper arm.
Activate your feet and point them both toward the sky. Use your core to maintain a sense of lifting and engagement the entire time. When you’re ready to exit the pose, come back down the way you came and rest in Child’s Pose before repeating on the other side.
How to Modify Fallen Angel
Make sure you have a solid base in Side Crow before moving further into Fallen Angel. You can also keep your knees together and point both feet up rather than extending one leg up to the sky.
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