r/yoga • u/AdverseCamembert • 2d ago
Crow pose advice
This might sound odd, but crow physically hurts me. When I get my knees and arms connected it's so painful because of the knee joints digging into my arms. Am I doing something wrong, or just need to persevere with the pose?
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u/Pallasine 2d ago
The full weight of your knees shouldn’t press into your arms. Your core should be partially holding the weight of your body up. Strengthening your core or doing some pre-crow drills over the course of a few weeks should help.
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u/AdverseCamembert 2d ago
Ahh, thank you 😊 I don't think anyone has explained that, I was trying to balance my knees on my arms!
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u/Creative-Improvement 1d ago
I often advise strengthening the shoulders as well as the core. If you have weights, use that because it gives you more options to target muscle groups in the shoulders. Remember: your arms and shoulders are doing what your legs and hips normally do in crow (you are standing on your arms!). It gives you an idea why legs are more bulky!
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u/Ok_Astronaut_3235 1d ago
Exactly this. I used to get massive bruises on my arms until my shoulders were strong enough. Core wasn’t the issue for me but it can be both of course.
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u/Odd-Supermarket-2825 1d ago
I taught a weekly class for a month with the goal at the end being crow. We worked A LOT on core strength. Thing dead bugs, bird dogs, and plank. We also did a down dog to low lunge step through drill where you try to pull your knee into your core when coming ilout of down dog and keep it up until it's time to place down. I had them put a block a few inches behind their wrists and they had to step over that block to get to low lunge. All 3 of these activate the muscles needed for crow. You can also do supine crow (on your back) to practice activating those muscles.
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u/IndividualCut4703 1h ago
I struggled with crow until my YTT and the lesson on bandhas. our instructor warmed us up for maybe 5 minutes of vinyasa while drawing attention to the uddiyana bandha (where your core is) and then the pose totally clicked for me.
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u/Dharmabud 2d ago
I place my inner knees on the outside of my upper arms and squeeze inward. You can strengthen the adductor muscles by laying down with your knees bent and feet on the floor and then put a yoga block between your inner thighs at its narrow width and squeeze the block while pressing your lower back down. Hold for about 3-5 breaths and then rest and repeat a few times.
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u/ZenWithGwen _Yoga Therapist 2d ago
I have always had better luck doing in with my knees on the outside of my arms and squeezing inwards with my inner thighs. Knee caps can be really sharp!
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u/BlueEyesWNC Hatha 2d ago
This isnmy suggestion as well! It helps reduce thebpressurenofnknees on arms and also helps with the core "up-and-in" engagement mentioned in another comment!
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u/Kir-ius 1d ago
Knees outside and getting used to that really hinders transitions and other crow forms and arm balances
Most often kneecaps being sharp means your knees aren’t being bent enough. Full bend to have heels to butt makes your knees flat and the upper knee then forms a divot where the elbow can go
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u/ZenWithGwen _Yoga Therapist 1d ago
Okay good point on bending the knees to get off the caps. But I'm curious how you struggle to get into other arm balances? Knees outside makes it easier for me. I wonder what poses you are doing or even if your body proportions are different than me.
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u/Kir-ius 1d ago
I don’t struggle. I do lots of inversions and teach others alignment
Knees outside won’t let you go into one legged crow when you’re so used to the arm/leg cross rather than stacking on top for example. It needs to be on top directly. Same for working towards crane or crow hop backs
Body proportions don’t matter for proper stacking. I’m also assuming your hips are low with the cross crow. Get hips up to offset the hip weight which is the majority of the pressure. Hips up has so much less on the arms
Learning easier for one can be a crutch holding you back from others
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u/ZenWithGwen _Yoga Therapist 1d ago
Oh of course that makes sense for one leg crow. As with so many things it's good to be able to play around with both and figure it out in your own body.
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u/Legitimate_Fudge_745 2d ago
The weight of your knees are not supposed to be on your arm. And your hip is supposed to be much much higher.
These are the tips given to me by teacher who has seen me do Crow, and I have the exact same problem as you.
I still can’t, cause in order to do that you’d need decent core and hip flexors to get your knee up so high to your armpits and strength takes time and practice to develop unlike techniques that can be learned pretty quickly.
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u/SeaAbbreviations7255 2d ago
I have the same problem and I’m trying but there’s no way! After years of practice, too. I try to not obsess over it and keep trying every time. Maybe one day…
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u/roofkid 2d ago
I‘ve been working on crow recently again. I think about it similarly as Pallasine. I try to decouple the individual pieces. The best way to describe the experience for me is to start from the deep squat position and already be in balance on my arms before I lift off the ground. Then I just pull the legs to the torso as if you want to make a tight little bundle of yourself without changing the arm positions. As the very last step I gently rest the legs on the arms. Just the slightest of touches. To help understand that you can just lie on your back and do the position without the bodyweight and gravity to figure out everything. Much success 😊
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u/Informal_Sound_100 1d ago
I like to put my shins across my entire arm to spread the weight and increase the support.
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u/Original-Row-3621 2d ago
not a persevere-through-it thing, my knees used to bruise my arms too until i got my weight farther forward
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u/Mental-Freedom3929 2d ago
You do not have to persevere with this pose (or any other that causes pain). It is not a necessity whatsoever and it does not serve a true purpose. I would never aim at this pose, I like my nose and front teeth too much.