Bakasana / Crane pose

Camatkarasana /Rock Star pose or "Wild thing"

Kukkutasana / Rooster pose, Cock pose, Cockerel pose

Vrksasana / Tree pose

Bakasana / Crane pose

"Baka" in Sanskrit means a crane. The body in this pose resembles a crane wading in a pool of water...

Like most arm

balances this Asana requires lots of your focused attention, and more coordination, physical balance than muscular strength.

To achieve this pose one must get into a state of calmness bringing patience to the mat before moving into the pose. Crane Pose balances the entire nervous system, tones and strengthens the abdominal organs, arms, and wrists.

Like most inversions or arm balances it isn’t about the strength in your arms but more about resolution of “I can do this” (seeing yourself in the pose), setting your fear of falling aside, patience, concentration, curiosity & being adventurous, with a cheerful attitude.

• Place your hands on the mat in front of you about a foot away from your feet, palms flat on mat, shoulder width apart.
• Place your hands on the mat in front of you about a foot away from your feet, palms flat on mat, shoulder width apart.
• Open your knees wide to let the torso lean forward, in between the inner thighs.
• Raise your hips high, bend the elbow in, and place your knees onto the triceps as close to the armpits as possible.
• Keep your gaze onto a spot in front of you beyond your hands
• Let your body move onto your arms by rolling your torso forward balancing the body onto your hands.
• If this is too much you can always lift one foot off the mat then switch until you are ready to do the full pose.
• Stay up for 5 breath.

• Stretch the arms straight and balance the entire body on the hands for 5 breaths.

• Exhales bend the knees and lower hips so that the thighs touch your stomach and chest.

• Lower the top of head down to the floor, lift your legs straight up into Salamba Sirsasana II (Tripod headstand).

•  Come back down the same way you came up
  

•  Move back into Crane pose with arm straight.

Camatkarasana / "Wild thing" or "Rock Star Pose"

With this pose we are literally flipping our down-dog. I am not sure Camatkasana translate into "wild thing" just because this pose is not a traditional yogic pose. Perhaps if someone knows Sanskrit they could drop a note and give the truthful meaning of the word.

Rock Star Pose is an intense back bend that requires arm strength as well as open hips.
It is a wonderful pose to open up the heart center, chest, lungs and shoulders.
You will get a deep stretch in the hip flexors, quad, and shoulders, strengthening shoulders, arm and entire back.
Like any back bends this pose will help you remove fatigue and depression.

When moving in and out of this pose I cannot help to feel like I am flying or floating in the air. It is one of my favorite poses!

We move into this pose from a down-dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- by rotation of the body to the right side,
- bringing our self onto the outer edge of the right foot,
- dropping the ball of your left foot outside of the right leg,
- lifting your chest through the right arm by pressing your body weight away from the floor,
- opening the chest straight to the sky,
- moving the left arm back along side your left ear,
- looking straight back and down toward the floor,
- making a beautiful arch with you body.

Once you have gain confidence and flexibility, from Rock star pose you can move into a wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and rotate into your Rock star pose onto the left side and back to down-dog.
Try it  in class, it's fun!

Disclaimer: This is an advance pose please do not try if you haven't mastered any inversions or arm balances yet. Please consult your yoga teacher before trying this pose.

Kukkutasana (Rooster pose, Cock pose, Cockerel pose)

Like all arm balances you will strengthen the wrists, and elbow joints, and abdominal wall. This invigorating pose will help balance the hemispheres of the mind, free you from laziness, and will have you laugh. It is also a great way to open up the hips , removing pain in hips and helping with heavy menstruation.

Start out with Padmasana (Lotus Pose) or even half Lotus.

1. Sit on your mat legs extended forward. Take one leg and place your right foot on the left thigh crease as close to your groins as possible do the same with your left foot crossing it over the right thigh.

Disclaimer: This is an advance pose please do not try if you haven't mastered any inversions or arm balances yet. Please consult your yoga instructor before trying this pose.

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Vrksasana / Tree pose

This simple standing balance is a great pose to practice as your first standing balance. And it continues to be a great pose after many years of yoga practice as it reveals new elements of subtle expansion.
You will learn discipline of the mind, by focusing your attention onto one thing (what you are doing right now), keeping your mind steady yet relaxed without any expectations.
Once you can trust that your body can get into the pose you will no longer push or "will" yourself into making it happen (which doesn't work anyway). You will use your breath instead to relax you enough to find yourself suspended onto one foot arms over head effortlessly.

My advice to you: Be patient, Stick to practicing it, RELAX, Practice a deep ujjayi breath, See yourself in the pose and, Stop trying so hard.

Stand in Tadasana hands onto your waist.

Take a deep inhale and deep exhale,

Keep you gaze steady onto one spot on the floor/wall,

Shift your weight onto the left foot and lift the right foot holding onto your ankle with the right hand,

Placing the sole of your foot against the left inner thigh,

Keep holding to your ankle until you find your balance,

Bring your hands at the heart center palms touching in Namaste (prayer pose),

Keep both hips level to the floor,

When you are stable lift your arms over head,

Stay for 10 - 15 breath. Release right leg and switch side.

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