Eka Pada Bakasana – One-Legged Crane Pose

Eka Pada Bakasana or the One-Legged Crane Pose looks like a crane patiently waiting to catch its prey. It develops strength of the wrists, arms and shoulders and improves concentration and balance. In Sanskrit, Eka means one, Pada is leg, Baka means crane and Asana means pose. There are many variations of Eka Pada Bakasana, depicting the crane in various poses. Most of them looks like a crane meditating in stillness, concentrating on its prey and waiting for the final kill.

To perform Eka Pada Bakasana, one needs good strength of the wrist, hands and shoulders and a good sense of balance to maintain the position for long. Those with high blood pressure and cerebral thrombosis should avoid this asana.

How to do Eka Pada Bakasana (One-Legged Crane Pose)?

1. Squat on the floor with legs slightly apart.
2. Place the hands on the floor and let the palms feel the floor.
3. Raise the heels and balance yourself on the toes.
4. Slowly bend forward and shift the weight of the body to the palms.
5. Lift yourself up using the palms. Keep the elbows as straight as possible.
6. Now the entire weight of the body will rest on the palms and the knees should touch the outside of the hands, just next to the elbows.
7. Now, straighten out the left leg and align it with the body.
8. Retain the breath in this final position. Maintain this position for as long as possible. Your concentration should be on maintaining the balance of the body.
9. To release the pose, bend the straightened leg, then lower both legs to the floor and return to the initial squatting position and breathe normally.
10. Repeat this with the right leg straightened out.

Benefits of Eka Pada Bakasana

1. Eka Pada Bakasana strengthens the wrists, arms and shoulders.
2. It improves the sense of balance as it requires sufficient nervous coordination.
3. It can remove tension and anxiety.
4. This pose will strengthen the core muscles.
5. This asana gives some benefits of inverted poses also.

Contraindications for Eka Pada Bakasana

1. Do not do Eka Pada Bakasana, if you have any injury of the wrist, arms or shoulders.
2. If you high blood pressure avoid this pose.
3. Since this is similar to inverted poses, do not do this if you have cerebral thrombosis.