Bird of Paradise
- Pro
- Advanced
- Yoga
Bird of paradise binds your arms around one thigh from a forward fold, then shifts your weight onto the opposite foot and extends the bound leg out to the side. Balancing on one leg this way opens the hamstrings, glutes and adductors more than a two-footed pose like warrior two. Advanced practitioners use it as a warmup, cooldown or recovery flow, held for time on each side.
- Muscles
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Adductors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Logged as
- Timed hold
How to
- From a standing forward fold, bind your arms around one thigh.
- Shift your weight onto the opposite foot and rise slowly.
- Extend the bound leg out to the side once balanced.
- Hold tall, then fold back down and switch sides.
Form cues
- Find a fixed point ahead to steady your gaze.
- Breathe slowly and evenly through the hold.
- Keep the standing leg softly bent, not locked.
Common mistakes
- Rising happens too fast and balance breaks. Shift weight and rise slowly, one stage at a time.
- Standing knee locks out hard. Keep a soft bend in your standing leg.
- Gaze wanders, breaking the balance. Fix your eyes on one still point ahead.
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