Side Crow Pose or Parsva Bakasana is an arm balancing Yoga asana that most people learn right after learning the crow pose.
I have talked about this pose already in my list of arm-balancing asanas and I just published a video tutorial on YouTube as well.
In my experience, side crow is easier than crow for those who can twist their upper body easily. Yes it does require basic arm strenth that you would need for Chaturanga Dandasana but more than that it’s about playing with balance and understanding the twist.
But do you know you can “cheat” a little and make this pose easier?
Here’s how. When you arrive in the twisted chair pose, plant your hands on the floor where you’re twisting, and lean your weight on both your upper arms to find air time.
However, I don’t recommend you cheat all the time, use this cheating hack just to understand how this pose works and gradually work on developing enough strength and body awareness to find the traditional side crow pose where your weight is on just one arm instead of two.
I demonstrate both variations in my video, so check it and let me know if it worked for you.