Crow is a challenging pose, but with the right mindset, technique, and preparation, it becomes accessible. It is also the gateway pose to many more fun and challenging arm balances you can try in the future once you have mastered Crow.

For this workout you may find it helpful to use a yoga block (or similar prop) for some of the work. If you're nervous about face-planting in Crow Pose, a nice soft pillow placed on your mat in front of you can help take some of that fear away.

The Workout, Pose-By-Pose:

1. Supine Crow Crunches

We begin our journey to Crow Pose without fear, in a nice safe position: lying on our backs. Lift your arms up and press your palms towards the ceiling. (Think plank pose, only upside down.) Bend your knees, and use your abdominal muscles to pull your knees up towards your triceps, while simultaneously lifting your shoulders to bring your triceps towards your knees. The closer to your arm pits you can make contact between your knees and your triceps, the better! Keep your big toes touching, and squeeze your heels towards your buttocks. This is the shape of Crow Pose!

The protraction of your shoulder blades you feel here to push your palms away, and the engagement of your core and leg muscles to hold everything in tight are the same muscular engagements you need to achieve success in a right-side-up crow.

As you inhale, allow your knees and your triceps to separate by a few inches, then exhale and draw your abdominals in to make contact once again. Perform 10 reps of these Crow Crunches.

2. Supine Crow Taps

If your neck is starting to feel the strain of holding up your head by this point, it can help to grab a yoga block and place it behind your head, on the medium height, to support your head. (Our necks don't need to work so hard in upright crow. So it can help to let go of the strain here so we can better focus our efforts on everything we do need to engage for a successful Crow.)

Assume the Supine Crow position once again and this time maintain contact between your knees and your triceps. Inhale and lift one foot, bringing the toes of your lifted foot to tap your wrist on the same side. Exhale to squeeze your heel back towards your buttocks. Then repeat the move on the other side. If your toes and wrists don't connect because your toes are reaching past your palms, protract your shoulder blades more strongly to press your palms further away, and draw in through your abdominals more to try to get your knees closer to your arm pits.

Perform 10 reps of Supine Crow Taps

3. Boat Pose

Now we'll progress our journey to Crow, adding in an element of balance this time, while still safely perched firmly on our butts. Place your hands behind your knees and engage your core. With a long spine, lean back until you are balanced on your sit bones and your toes float up off your mat. When you're ready, release your hands from your legs and extend your arms, reaching your finger tips away from you.

Hold Boat Pose for 5 full breaths.

4. Seated Crow

Just as we did while lying on our backs, we can find the shape of Crow Pose while sitting. Turn your hands and protract your shoulder blades to press your palms away while using your abdominal muscles to draw your knees towards your chest until your knees and triceps once again make contact.

Hold Seated Crow for 5 full breaths.

5. Crow Pose Prep

We're about to attempt to bear the full weight of our bodies on our hands. So it's a great idea to warm up our wrists first with the Wrist Pain Workout and/or the Talk to the Hand Workout.

When you're ready, come to a crouching position, and place your palms on your mat, shoulder width apart, with your fingers spread and either your middle or index fingers pointing away from you. Next, lift your hips and rise up onto your tiptoes. Just as we did in our supine and seated crows, bring your knees in to touch your triceps, as close to your arm pits as you can get them.

If you're having difficulty getting your hips up high enough, it can help to start with your feet on a yoga block or thick book.

Protract your shoulder blades, engage your core, and slowly lean forward, bringing your weight into your hands. Once the weight on your toes becomes very light, exhale and try lifting one foot up towards your buttocks. Inhale to release your foot back down. Then repeat with the other side.

6. Full Crow

Now we are ready to take flight! Start from the ground, or on your block/book, whichever feels more comfortable for you. Place your palms down and grip your mat with your fingertips while rooting down through the base of your knuckles. Bring your knees up to your triceps. Protract your shoulder blades, engage your core, and lean forward. Keep shifting your weight forward until your toes float up off your matt/block. Bring your big toes together and squeeze your heels up towards your buttocks.

Fly your Crow for as long as you are able. Don't forget to breathe!