September is National Yoga Month and on Sept. 4, 2017, the city of Austin will come together to celebrate Free Day of Yoga! Participating studios across the Austin area offer free classes as an opportunity for people of every age and fitness level to try yoga for the first time, experience a new style of yoga, or share yoga with friends and family.
No matter where or how you choose to commemorate the occasion, we invite you to give crow pose a shot. This single pose is an amazing full body workout. It works your arm and core muscles, while also strengthening your wrists, upper back, and legs.
Erinn Lewis, co-owner and instructor at Sukha Yoga, shows you how to pull it off.
To Start: Warm the body up with a few rounds of Sun Salutations. Wiggle out your wrists. Keep your breath full and steady.
If You’re New to Crow:
1. Place a block under you like a little perch. Step on to the block.
2. Spread your toes, press through the mounds of your feet and lift your heels.
3. Split your knees wide and stretch your upper body forward and down.
4. Lengthen your arms, placing your wrists as wide or a little wider than shoulder distance apart on your mat. Fan out through your fingers and release your skull. Breathe a few slow, deep breaths here.
5. Slide your arm into your inner upper thighs. Suction your arms and your legs against each other.
6. Bend into the elbows, stay lifted on the toes, and split your knees, positioning them as high on the triceps (upper arms) as possible. Think about taking the knees all the way up to the armpits. Set and soften the gaze forward.
7. Transfer your weight and squeeze into the midline, pulling the pit of your belly in and up.
8. Lift one foot and squeeze the heel toward your butt. If you feel stable, lift the other foot off the block. Or alternate lifting each foot until you’re ready to take flight.
To see the full schedule of studios hosting classes, go to freedayofyoga.com.