January 2016: Bird Yoga Poses

Hey everyone, and welcome back to Caitlin’s Corner! I can’t believe that it is 2016 already; time really does fly! To kick off the year, I thought I would give you some ideas to help get your New Year’s Resolutions started. A fun, different thing to do for exercise is yoga. Yoga poses can help you work on balance and flexibility. But, did you also know that there are specific yoga poses that are named after birds? Let’s take a look:

1. The Crow/The Crane: This pose is also known as bakasana. This one really builds strength in your arms and helps with balance. It is a bit more difficult than the others; I don’t even have it down quite yet! To start off, squat so you look like this:

Then, you are going to want to push up on your hands so that your knees are balancing on the part of your arm that is close to your shoulders. Make sure you keep your arms bent, or else they will not be able to support your body. Before you do it, make sure you look at this picture for reference:

For other ways to get into it, such as a headstand, go to this website: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-the-Crow-Pose-%28Yoga%29.

2. The Swan/The Pigeon and The Sleeping Swan: This pose I absolutely love doing because it is really fun for stretching! What you want to do is sit in butterfly pose to start, which is like crisscross-applesauce, but the bottoms of your feet are together in front of you. After you are in this position, slide one leg back so the knee of that is facing the ground like this to do the swan (there is also a variation of the pigeon pose that is the same):

To do the sleeping swan, all you need to do is bend forward over your leg so your head is nearly touching the ground as you stretch your arms out in front of you like this:

For more information, go to http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_swan.php.

3. The Eagle: This one is also called garudasana and looks trickier than it is, trust me. You are going to want to start by standing up. Hook your elbows so that your right arm is over your left. Then, try to give yourself a high-five to get your hands to touch by moving your forearms clockwise. Afterwards, take your right leg and wrap it around your left. Squat slightly by bending your left knee. You should look something like this:

For more information on how to do this pose, go to http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-eagle-pose-in-yoga.

4. The Peacock: This one, much like the crow pose, is pretty difficult, so you may not get it on your first try. It takes a lot of balance. To do this, make sure you are sitting on your heals and then place your hands so that are facing backwards through your knees. Lean forward with your elbows bent against your side. Make sure before you bring your legs out behind you that your shift your weight forward in the upper part of your body. You should have a flat back and be able to lift your head. You may feel like you could fall over, but try to find balance between your legs and upper body. If you have done it correctly, it should look like this:

For more detailed instructions, go to this website: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/peacock-pose.

5. The Bird of Paradise: I really like this one because it reminds me of stretches that I do in dance class. Again, this may be tricky for those who aren’t as flexible. Start by bending over and hug your most flexible leg by wrapping your arms around it, grapping the wrist of the opposite arm as so:

Then, stand up and lift your leg so the back of your knee is resting on your arm:

This is the bending leg bird of paradise. If you feeling like you can hold this with some ease, try that last step. To get into the full bird of paradise, lift that leg so it is extended straight and up at an angle:

There is a note on this website that you can look at for more detailed instruction, http://www.yogajournal.com/article/yogapedia/bird-of-paradise-5-steps-to-master-this-standing-pose/, that mentions to stay safe while doing this one. Don’t feel upset if you cannot get it; these are really tough poses to get into, let alone hold! You are doing great, fellow birder!

6. The Heron: This one is also known as Krounchasana, and is a bit easier to attempt than some of the other ones above. To start, you want to sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Then, move your right leg so it is bent backwards next your right hip. When you have balance, grab your flexed left food with both hands, bending your leg as you move it up to then extend it in an angle. You should look something like this:

For more information, click on this: http://www.ekhartyoga.com/everything-yoga/yoga-poses/heron-pose.

Here are some bonus nature poses for you to try out:

7. The Butterfly: I mentioned this one earlier when you want to get into the swan pose. Sit and bend your legs so that the bottoms of your feet are touching. If you feel so inclined, move your legs up and down like a butterfly flapping its wings.

8. The Cow: This one is where you are on all fours and you look up so that your back is straight. That is pretty straightforward. If you want to be cat, just simply round your back.

9. The Mountain: This one is easy. Stand and bring your hands together in front of your chest. If you want to be a bird, you can take your arms and flap them beside you.

10. The Tree: I have done this one ever since I was little. What you want to do is start in the mountain pose and then bring one of your legs so that your foot is resting on the inside part of your other leg, much like a tree. Now put your arms straight out and wait for birds to land on your branches.

For other fun and similar poses like these, go to http://www.kidsyogastories.com/kids-yoga-poses/.

So, if you find these bird poses pretty cool, you should try them out with your family or friends, with parental permission. Before you start any of these, make sure you stretch by doing things like trying to touch your toes and stretching your arms over your head so that you do not pull any muscles. Some warm up yoga practices can be found under parts 1 and 2 of this website: http://www.wikihow.com/Do-the-Yoga-Pigeon-Pose. Also, a yoga mat is highly recommended so you do not slip. If you are feeling super spunky, you can even wear one of the bird costumes I taught you how to make last October (for the articles on which bird you are and how to make that costume, click the September and October 2015 links below)! Have fun, and happy birding!