Parsva Bakasana

Arm balances are held briefly. Aim for three to eight breaths, or a few controlled seconds at first, and repeat two or three times with rest between rather than straining to extend a single hold. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.

No — Parsva Bakasana is an advanced arm balances posture. It asks for strength, range and control that take a long time to build, and it is much better learned with in-person guidance than from a page. Work through the preparatory postures listed below first, and treat the full shape as a long-term project rather than a goal for this month.

Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.

For Parsva Bakasana specifically: wrist injury; pregnancy (modify or avoid). More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.

Prepare with Bakasana (Crane (Crow) Pose), Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja's Twist). Release afterwards with Balasana (Child's Pose). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.

Parsva Bakasana translates as side crane (crow) pose — parsva = side, baka = crane The name follows Sanskrit convention, but the posture itself is modern and is not described in the classical texts.