Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Stand) redefines balance. Here’s how.

Yoga magazineQ archives The series is a curated collection of articles originally published in back issues beginning in 1975. This article about Pinsha Mayurasana (Forearm Stand) first appeared in the May-June 1979 issue of Yoga magazine.

In his country Yoga Sutrasthe sage Patanjali defines asana as “a comfortable and easy posture.” At first glance, this goal may seem impossible to achieve in Pincha Mayurasana (feathered peacock pose or forearm stand); But, like other balance positions, once balance is achieved, a dynamic feeling of lightness and liveliness is experienced.

pinch It translates to “chin or feather” and Mayura Means “peacock”. Thus, the pose, or stance, is one in which the practitioner resembles a peacock with raised feathers. Pincha Mayurasana is often confused with Pincha Mayurasana Vrshikasanaor Scorpio. However, the main difference between them is that in the latter the feet are dropped to the head while in the former the legs are held straight.

My first experience balancing in Pincha Mayurasana in the center of the room was exhilarating. This achievement created a wonderful sense of freedom within me. Freedom from fear is an exciting experience, which regular yoga practice can reveal, as one moves toward the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit.

My understanding of yoga was enhanced through this pose when I simultaneously realized the ease of balance as well as the focus and work required to maintain the pose. I felt balanced, not just physically – in my interaction with gravity, the small distance between falling backwards or forwards – but mentally – in my awareness of posture and my awareness of the situation. I was the subject experiencing the asana, and yet I was the asana, the subject of my own experience. This dynamic balance of opposites creates a stillness within so that the inner nature is free to experience the moment. This freedom to experience the moment is what yoga is all about.

Consistent practice of the yoga discipline allows one freedom from the past and encourages one to let go of expectations of the future. Freedom from the past and the future, as depicted and achieved through asana, is true balance. It is experienced as a state of complete happiness. Paradoxically, this state must be worked for, yet it can never be achieved, it can only be experienced spontaneously. One definition of asana, from ancient Indian language upanishads, “Standing firm in unwavering spiritual wisdom constitutes an attitude,” he says. Practicing Pincha Mayurasana with control, grace and ease teaches one that the body can become a perfect instrument for the soul.

How to come to Pincha Mayurasana

As in Tadasana (Mountain), the body is held in a line as vertical as possible, obviously excluding the arms. The pelvis should be level, legs in line, and back minimally arched – similar to inverted tadasana. Instead of folding or narrowing the lumbar area, the spine is extended upward, just as in Tadasana. However, the basis of the pose is not the feet but the hands, WristsAnd the forearms. The key elements to achieving the final position are alignment and rotation.

In well-aligned posture, the forearms are parallel with the center of each palm in line with the center of each elbow joint. Elbow joints are shoulder width apart. Bringing the hands closer to the elbows (making a triangle with the hands and elbows) is usually just a weak attempt at stability. In fact, this makes the pose more difficult because the closer the elbows are, the harder it is to lift the shoulders away from the ears and use the triceps meaningfully.

Also, do not rotate your forearms outward. Instead, a stable foundation is created by keeping the inner wrists rotated down and the palms flat. If the fingers are extended and slightly arched, it can also help.

The adductor scapulae*, middle trapezius, and rhomboids are also stretched when the shoulders are lowered down and inward. Your arms and body will be better supported if these muscles work to bring the shoulder blades together.

Although the forearm stand is an intermediate-level pose, there is a preparatory variation to it Beginners. In this variation, the student kneels, places his forearms parallel to each other on the floor, and then raises his buttocks by straightening the legs. Instead of trying to lift the legs, the focus is on pushing the weight into the elbows, thus opening the chest and strengthening the arms and shoulders at the same time. (The triceps brachii in the upper back arms, the muscles between the shoulders, and the pectoralis muscle in the upper outer part of the chest will benefit the most.)

Initially, practicing a forearm-on-the-wall stand will reduce fear and the possibility of falling backwards. Think of the middle back indent as you swing your legs up, exhaling at the same time. Other training methods can include using a book or a block placed between the hands to separate them, as well as helping a partner keep the elbows in and wrists down. If assistants are available, place one on each side of the student to hold the middle of the forearm down and rotate it inward. This same technique is also useful in Sirsasana (Headstand).

*Adduction is bringing a body part toward the midline, in this case, the shoulder blade.