Pose Breakdown: One-Legged Crow Pose
Ready to step up your Crow Pose with a bit of a lift? One-Legged Crow Pose (Eka Pada Bakasana) is right what it says on the label: Crow Pose with one leg resting on your arm and the other up in the air.
While Crow Pose is wonderful for building balance and focus, its one-legged cousin requires more coordination: The asymmetrical shape means having to do more negotiation with gravity, and only half of your lower body has a place to rest. This requires even more focus and discipline, but it feels incredible when you finally nail it!
One-Legged Crow is an advanced posture, so make sure you’re fully comfortable in Crow Pose (Kakasana) before attempting this one. If you need help, try this Alo Moves tutorial with Dylan Werner — and maybe give these Crow Pose props and variations a try.
Benefits of One-Legged Crow
Strengthens wrists, shoulders, and core
Improves balance and core stability
Energizes your body
Contraindications
Consult a medical professional — or avoid this pose all together — if you have wrist or arm issues or injuries. Same goes for anything that would keep you from doing an inversion, like very high blood pressure.
How to Do One-Legged Crow Pose
1. Start by coming down into a Toe Stand. Open your knees and place them high up on your triceps.
2. Bring your hands flat underneath your shoulders and lean forward coming into Crow Pose.
3. Pull one knee in toward your chest and begin to tip forward as you lift that leg straight up toward the sky while pointing your toes.
4. Pull your bent leg heel in toward your glutes.
Follow Up Poses for One-Legged Crow Pose
Standing Forward Fold
Thread the Needle
Supine Twist
Child’s Pose
Props for One-Legged Crow Pose
Placing a bolster or block in front of you can help take away your fear of falling so you can focus on the pose.
Eka Pada Bakasana Meaning
Eka Pada Bakasana literally means “One-Legged Crane Pose”: “Eka” is “one,” “pada” is “leg” or “foot,” “baka” is “crane,” and “asana” is “pose,” “posture,” or “seat.” It’s (almost) right what it says on the label. In Sanskrit, “kaka” means “crow” and “baka” means “crane.” They have extremely similar alignments — Crow Pose has arms bent, while Crane Pose has arms long — and in variations they tend to be used interchangeably.
Ready for more Crow Pose variations?
Take a peek at our list of 5 Crow Pose variations for more fun and challenging poses.
Ready to take flight? Try Dylan Werner’s School of Arm Balance series, available for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.