Crow Walking Pose Yoga (Kawa Chalasana) | Yoga Sequences, Benefits, Variations, and Sanskrit Pronunciation | Tummee.com (2024)

Given below are the benefits of Crow Walking Pose:

1. Stretches, Strengthens, and Lengthens: Seated movement with knees bent stretches and mildly lengthens the entire lower body, including the muscles of lower back, hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, knees, ankles and feet. It strengthens knee and hip joints and reduces stiffness around them. Hence, it reduces knee and ankle pain due to lack of movement and stiffness. Also, this pose stretches and lengthens the Iliotibial band (IT band) Muscles, glutes and groins simultaneously.
2. Flexibility and Range of Motion: Walking in the Crow Pose increases the flexibility of the legs and hips. Udarakarshana Kriya itself helps open up the hips and pelvis. Walking in this position helps with the betterment of hip and knee mobility. It not only makes the lower body more flexible but also increases the flexibility of legs and prepares practitioners for advanced poses like Twisted Toestand Squat. Crow Walking Pose increases the flexibility of the muscles around the ankles, toes, and feet. It is a beneficial practice for those having issues like flat-feet, plantar fasciitis.
3. Chest, Diaphragm, and Breath: Breathing plays a vital role in the practice as the pose involves back-and-forth movement. Students must understand when to inhale and when to exhale. Yoga teachers must clearly instruct their students to exhale while stepping forward and inhale when lifting the other knee. Correct breathing helps practitioners from breathlessness and any spine-related injuries.
4. Awareness, Focus, Alignment, and Posture: Poses involving dynamic movement need simultaneous awareness of breath and movement. Students need to be aware of when to inhale and when to exhale. This practice also requires balancing the body on the toes. Which becomes easy when the posture and alignment are correct. Also, practitioners must know that the pelvic floor should not touch the ground, and one foot always stays on the toes. Palms must rest on the knees. However, beginners may put their palms on the floor during the initial days.
5. Energizing, De-stressing, and Relaxing: Crow Walking Pose, when practiced regularly, increases the flexibility and mobility of the hips and pelvic muscles. Practicing poses that involve lower body movements can make much emotional and physical difference. It can energize the body, relax the mind, and de-stresses the mood. The pelvic stiffness is reduced and the students feel energized with enhanced mobility.
6. Stimulation, Organs, Circulation and Systems: Crow Walking Pose suspends the blood circulation in the lower part of the body and hence, it increases blood circulation in the abdomen area. Moreover, due to abdominal compression various organs like liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines get better stimulation. Due to stimulation and better circulation, it boosts the digestion process.
7. Therapeutic, Healing, and Ailments: Crow Walking Movement compresses and puts pressure on the abdominal area. It stimulates the digestive organs and provides better circulation to them. This can address many issues related to the stomach, like indigestion, slow digestion, gas, acidity, bloating, constipation, and IBS. It provides circulation to the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) stimulates peristalsis, which plays a vital role in strong digestion. (Peristalsis is a wave-like muscle contraction movement due to which the food moves through the digestive tract. It starts from the esophagus where the food moves in a wave-like movement towards various digestive organs).
8. Balance and Emotions: It is said that we store emotional trauma in the hip area. We usually live a life that lacks movement and involves stress. The practice of such simple movements can make so much difference emotionally and physically. It can energize the body and uplifts the mood. The practice of Crow Walking Pose stimulates the base chakras, namely, Manipura (Solar Plexus) Chakra, Svadhisthana (Sacral) Chakra and Muladhara (Root) Chakra.
9. Level-Up Poses: Level-Up Poses for Crow Walking Pose are, Pistol Squat Pose Prep (Eka Pada Padangusthasana Prep), Pistol Squat Pose Holding Foot (Eka Pada Padangusthasana Squat), Noose Pose (Pasasana), Twisted Toestand Squat, Twisted Toe Squat.

Given below are the contraindications for Crow Walking Pose:

1. Injury and Surgery: Practitioners with injuries or having undergone recent surgeries in the area of the lower back, knees, hips, ankles, and toes. Practicing the pose during injury or recovery period may worsen the pain.
2. Lack of Body-Breath Connections: Crow Walking Pose is a dynamic movement pose that requires the practitioner to balance the body on toes, and hence, a connection between breath and body movement is required. Lack of connection and coordination between breathing and movement leads to loss of balance and fall. This may lead to minor injury or leg twists. Thus, it is necessary to perform the pose with due diligence and concentration.
3. Physical Strength and Weak Body: Practice of Crow Walking Pose requires lower body strength, especially stronger knees, pelvis, and ankles. People having weak joints like senior citizens should refrain from this practice. Also, people having issues like arthritis and acute osteoporosis should not practice this pose.
4. Others: Crow Walking Pose should not be included in prenatal yoga. This pose should not be practiced for at least two to three months postnatal. Women should also avoid this practice during menstruation as it puts pressure on the abdomen area, and this might not be comfortable for the practitioner.

Following are the step-by-step details for Crow Walking Pose.

1. Begin the pose by getting in the corner of the mat.
2. Now, get into Toe Squat. But keep a little distance between both legs. Keep your breathing slow and gentle here.
3. Place the right palm on the right knee and the left palm on the left knee for support during the walk.
4. Now, to begin walking in this position, keep the palm on the knee; first of all, exhale and gently place your right knee on the mat, then inhale and lift the left foot and put it right beside the right knee.
5. Now, repeat the process by placing the left knee on the mat with the exhalation; then inhale, gently lift your right foot and place it beside the left knee.
6. Keep walking like this toward the end of the mat and rest for a moment.
7. One can practice walking back and forth on the mat for about three to four rounds.
8. If beginners have difficulty placing their palms on the knees, they can place their palms on the mat in the beginning to balance themselves.
9. Rest in Dandasana Hands Back Knees Bent for seven to eight breaths after the practice.

Learn more: Crow Walking Pose Steps

Play Sanskrit audio pronunciation for Kawa Chalasana