Long before Handstand photos ruled the social media kingdom, Astavakrasana was the king of the hill. Teachers received a photo or two of themselves every few years to adorn their bios and show off their abilities in their leaflets.
There were 3 distinctly different looks that the teachers gave when photographed in the pose: 1) a happy smile that gave the appearance of a senior photo of a yogi, 2) a distant look that implied that the the teacher was taken in their natural habitat, and 3) the somewhat surprising mug (my favorite) that proved the teacher was not photographed for his senior photo.
Astavakrasana isn’t as ubiquitous anymore, but it’s still a great pose. It strengthens the upper body as well as the trunk rotation muscles. If you do it correctly, the pose also strengthens the adductors and outer hips. Plus, it always looks great on flyers.
So see Yoga Podcast: A Strategic Approach to Arm Balances and Inversions
Like all the postures I break down on my blog, Astavakrasana has several layers. Most of the cues I use for posing are shown in the illustration. But I want to give you three quick tips.
These are the most common elements of posture that I have had to solve for my students over the last 20 years.
3 Tips for Astavakrasana
1. Hand placement
The most common mistake students make when practicing Astavakrasana is placing their hands too close to their hips when preparing for the pose. I’m not talking about the width of the hands in relation to each other. I’m talking about the proximity of the hands to the hips. You should be able to lean forward into your hands to bend your elbows and lift your hips. This is not possible if your hands are too close to your hips.
When you prepare for the pose, place your hands about a foot in front of your hips. This way you can lean forward into your hands. This will make bending your elbows and lifting your hips much more accessible.
2. The outside elbow
Get. He.In. The outside elbow likes to drift outward. But this often leads to the outside shoulder dropping too low. When the outer shoulder goes low, it can easily put excessive pressure on the socket.
To prevent this and provide your body with greater stability through your arms, squeeze your upper elbow toward your ribs. You can place your hand a little wider than your shoulders, but make sure to squeeze your outside elbow rather than letting it tilt.
3. The often overlooked twist
When we practice arm balancing, it is easy to overlook their subtleties. In Astavakrasana, it is common for students to forget that one of the defining elements of the posture is the rotation of the spine. We are so focused on the balancing element of the hand that we forget about the twisting action. So, don’t drop the ball the next time you practice Astavakrasana. Remember to use your leg pressure, hand pressure, and core action to maximize your twist.
See also The Expert’s Guide to Chaturanga, Part I
{illustration by MCKIBILLO}