[Pose Of the Week] Himalayan Duck Pose (Advanced)

Challenge your strength, flexibility, and balance in the advanced Himalayan Duck Pose…

Himalayan Duck Pose (Karandavasana) – also known as Himalayan Goose Pose, Waterfowl Pose, or simply Duck Pose – is an advanced-level yoga inversion and arm balance pose. This challenging pose requires both flexibility and balance, as well as a good deal of strength in the arms, shoulders, and upper back. It should only be attempted once you have mastered arm balance poses such as Crow and Crane Pose, as well as Peacock Pose and Lotus Pose.

Himalayan Duck Pose strengthens the core, arms, shoulders, and back, while stretching the hips, knees, thighs, and ankles. It also builds focus, concentration, and bodily awareness, and is believed to alleviate stress and anxiety, calm the mind, and activate the Third Eye chakra for enhanced intuition, wisdom, and insight.

Be sure to keep the shoulders forward, arms tucked, and back rounded in the pose. Suck the belly in and keep pushing down away from your foundation, creating a lifting feeling while you hold the pose. The breath should be long, slow, and smooth to maintain control and balance.

When you are first learning the pose, you may wish to keep a cushion or folded blanket between your hands under your face for protection in case you lose your balance.

Those with injuries or recent surgery to the spine, shoulders, arms, neck, elbows, hips, knees, abdomen, or lower back should skip this pose. If you are recovering from an illness, are pregnant, or have recently delivered, you should also avoid this one.

How to Do Himalayan Duck Pose:

Begin in Dolphin Pose on tiptoes with your forearms parallel to each other and your fingers wide and active. Stay here for a few breaths preparing your mind and body for this beautiful, arm-balance inversion.
Press your elbows together, bring your chest forward over the hands, and suck in the belly, gently squeezing your ribs into each other.
Next, walk your feet forward until the torso is nearly vertical, making your back perpendicular to the ground. Engage the shoulders and press your weight into your elbows.
Ensure that your elbows are right underneath your shoulders and that your elbows are not opening or slipping out.
Come onto the toes, lifting both the heels high. Now with your face facing the ground, inhale, and lift one leg towards the sky, coming into Half Feathered Peacock Pose.
When you’re ready, transfer your weight forward by pressing the elbows strongly into the ground, kicking up and reaching the toes up to the ceiling, using the core muscles to hold your balance.
Do not arch the back. Press strongly into the elbows to create a connection into the ground, and keep reaching out through the toes taking solid deep breaths. Keep your legs together and straight, with your toes pointing upward, and keep your face away from the ground, gazing forward.
Once you’ve found your balance in Peacock Pose, exhale, and fold and lock the legs one after the other in Lotus Pose. Fold your right leg from the knee towards the left groin, and then fold the left leg towards your right groin. This is Lotus In Peacock Pose.
From here, slowly while exhaling, first bring your feet in contact with the pelvis and then curl down while squeezing the ribs in to place the knees close to the armpits.
Shift the face and shoulders slightly forward over the hands.
Keeping the breath slow and gentle, remain here in Karandavasana for about 2-3 breaths initially while gazing down, keeping the knees squeezed down. If desired you can bring your gaze forward once you are stable.
To release, inhale, suck your thighs into the chest, and at the time flex your arm bones to uncurl the legs while moving the legs up and back into Lotus Peacock. Then, unlock the legs, straighten them, and finally bend from the waist using your core and shoulder strength while bringing both legs to the ground together.
Finally, rest in Child’s Pose with your palms rotated and facing the sky.