Here’s to the Warrior III and Crane Poses!
Balance is our true nature!
Since committing to my home yoga program and adding in the warrior III and crane poses, they have become my favorite poses. I feel like they have really helped my swimming, mountain biking and running by building strength, body awareness, and balance. The warrior III for leg strength, stability, and core for running. The warrior III for core, relaxation, and head spine alignment plus building the sense of opposition of one leg pressing down, one up for swimming. Also arms extending forward while legs stretch back all held together in the center, the core.
I felt my balance with mountain biking improve after doing the crane pose a few times. Nothing like getting past the discomfort of falling on your snout which is very possible with this pose. But this pose got me to really pay attention to my weight not going to far forward or back so I could feel “suspended” in it. Most importantly was doing this pose daily helped me learn to do a body scan and process quickly where I wanted my weight so that I wouldn’t land on my face-very handy for Mtn biking. If you have ever mountain biked you can see how this would be extremely helpful. Because of these poses my proprioception was better. Thank you crane.
But it’s not just the pose, it’s the breathing that has been the greatest gift. With each inhale and exhale things change. I notice more. The breath slows down my perception of time leaving this window of forever-ness to pay attention and to settle into my body more. The business of the frantic mind fades into the backseat and I am left with this greater sense of my senses/my body. And with the breath I can feel muscles I don’t need, in the moment, soften while those I need feel as though the have more “room.” With the inhale and exhale everything seems to change, grow and expand. It’s just the coolest thing!
