Crow to Chaturanga Dandasana is a tricky transition that took me a while to understand. This transition is a part of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Note, that Crow Pose or Crane Pose – kakasana or bakasana are not part of the primary series as stand-alone asanas but only as a transition.
I posted two videos on this topic on my YouTube channel and you can watch them here.
Here are three drills to help you jump back from crow to Chaturanga Dandasana
Drill 1: Forward Fold to Chaturanga Dandasana
This might be too simple for some people but still is an important drill. Jumping from a forward fold back to a push-up position is much more accessible to a lot of people.
You don’t need to come to your deepest forward fold. Stay slightly lifted, let your feet be just a bit behind your hands, bend your elbows so that your arms are already in the push up position. Breathe. Inhale, and as you exhale jump back to chaturanga dandasana.
Repeat this drill till the time you perfect it and only then move on to the next drill.
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Drill 2: Malasana to Chaturanga Dandasana
So what’s easier than crow? Malasana – the Yogi squat.
Malasana is the starting position for many people to get into crow pose. So, it helps if you understand how to jump from Malasana to to Chaturanga Dandasana.
Lean forward in your malasana pose and bend your elbows so that your arms are already in a push-up position. Jump back to chaturanga dandasana.
Repeat this drill till the time you perfect it and only then move on to the next drill.
Drill 3: Crow to Plank
It is so much easier to jump back to plank from crow instead of chaturanga dandasana.
Come into a low crow pose, jump back to plank, and then do chaturanga dandasana.
Repeat this drill a few times to that you can soon eliminate the plank pose and directly jump from crow to chaturanga dandasana.
Bookmark my YouTube video and try it a few times to master this transition. Let me know about your progress in the comments.