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Arm balance yoga poses are an ideal part of the yoga sequence. These poses look incredible but are very challenging to execute. That's the reason why arm balance asanas are mostly practiced by experienced yoga practitioners.
Balancing poses allow connection with your present and help increase your inner strength, confidence and courage. The key to pretty much all the advanced arm balance yoga poses is strong core muscles. You also need to have stability and strength in your wrists to identify your sense of courage.
Advanced Arm Balance Yoga Poses
Here's a look at seven such poses:
1) Crow Pose (Bakasana)
The crow pose is one of the best starting asanas to prepare your body for other arm balance yoga poses. This pose can help boost your confidence and make your realise how coordinated and strong you are.
Benefits:
The crow pose strengthens and tones the shoulders, arms, core and mind. It also strengthens your upper back and wrists and offers a great stretch. However, before attempting this pose, make sure you warm up your body, especially your wrists, to avoid arm or wrist pain.
2) Handstand Pose (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)
The handstand pose in yoga builds courage and strength and helps calm the mind while also easing depression and anxiety.
This advanced arm balance yoga pose requires a flexible spine, long hamstrings and strong shoulders to execute it correctly. It's also crucial to ensure you're conditioned, focused and strong and are using the correct technique before practicing the pose on your own.
Benefits:
The handstand develops strength in your core, arms and shoulders. Your psoas muscles also get involved and help keep your spine stabilised while allowing more flexibility through your hamstrings. As an inversion pose, the Adho Mukha Vrksasana improves blood circulation by sending blood to your head, which helps you feel calmer and energised.
3) Elephant’s Trunk Pose (Eka Hasta Bhujasana)
The elephant’s trunk pose is one of the most advanced arm balance yoga poses. Here, one leg is fully outstretched, while the other is over your upper arms.
Benefits:
The elephant’s trunk pose strengthens your abdominal muscles, arms and shoulders. It also offers a deep stretch to your groin and hip muscles. This pose tests your coordination and balance, helping you move with more flexibility.
4) Sage Visvamitra’s Pose (Visvamitrasana)
The Sage Visvamitra's pose is a super pose in yoga, involveing an arm balance, a standing pose and a twist. This pose helps develop incredible body strength, especially in the core muscles, legs and arms. Performing this asana also opens the inner thighs, hamstrings and hips and helps align your body.
Benefits:
The Sage Vissvamitra’s pose develops great awareness in the body and acts as a torso and side waist opener. This pose strengthens the wrists, legs and upper body and also provides a stretch to the deep gluteal muscles and outer hips.
5) Arm Pressure Pose (Bhujapidasana)
The arm pressure pose is one of the essential arm balance yoga poses you should include in your yoga practice. However, make sure to perform this asana once your muscles have warmed up. The Bhujapidasana is often done before mastering the more advanced firefly pose.
Benefits:
The arm pressure pose helps develop strength in your shoulders, arms, hands, core, inner thighs and wrists. It also improves your balance and enhances the mobility of your hip joints.
It acts as a core strengthening pose and opens the pelvis and hips too. However, to perform it, you need to have great flexibility in your hamstrings and hip flexors.
6) Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana)
The Scorpion pose is one of the most advanced arm balance yoga poses that involves a backbend, an upside down position and arm balance.
This pose should be performed only when you've developed shoulder mobility and enough core strength through consistent practice. The scorpion pose involves a tremendous backbend and resembles the position of a scorpion.
Benefits:
The scorpion pose strengthens your back, arms and core muscles and also enhances the flexibility of your spine. Additionally, it also stretches your chest and hip flexor muscles. As an advanced inversion, this asana is both physically and mentally energising and calming.
7) Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)
The Firefly pose is another challenging arm balance yoga pose that relies on great flexibility in the hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders and arms, and requires enough core strength.
Benefits:
The firefly pose strengthens your shoulders, forearms, wrists, triceps, hip flexors and core muscles. It offers a deep stretch for your adductors, outer hips and hamstrings. Practicing this asana improves your sense of coordination and balance and also offers relief from anxiety and stress.
Bottom Line
It's important to note that the aforementioned yoga poses are strong on the hands, particularly the wrists. If you've any wrist injury or other concerns, practice with caution, and discuss with your yoga instructor.
