Peacock PoseMayurasana
- Category
- Arm balances
- Level
- advanced
- Hold
- A few seconds to 3 breaths at first
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Breathing is shallow here because the elbows press the belly — keep it as smooth as you can and keep holds short.
Peacock Pose
Mayurasana — "peacock posture"
Your whole body balances horizontally on two bent elbows pressed into your belly, fingers pointing back toward your feet. The wrist position is unusual and intense — warm up thoroughly and expect this one to take a long time.
Step by step
- 1Kneel with your knees wide and place your palms on the mat with your fingers pointing back toward your knees.
- 2Bring your forearms together, bend your elbows, and snug them into your belly just below the navel.
- 3Lean your chest forward over your hands, keeping your elbows tucked against your midline.
- 4Stretch your legs straight back behind you, tops of the feet or toes on the floor.
- 5Firm your whole body into one line and keep leaning forward, letting your head lower slightly as a counterweight.
- 6When your feet feel light, let them float off the floor so your body hovers parallel to the mat.
- 7Hold briefly, then lower your feet with control and rest your wrists.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds unusual wrist and forearm strength
- ✓ Strengthens the core and back of the body as one unit
- ✓ Teaches fine balance around a single support point
- ✓ Develops patience — progress comes in small increments
Make it yours
- · Rest your forehead on a block so you can practice the lean with a third point of support
- · Place a rolled blanket under your ankles and practice lifting from that raised start
- · Practice the elbow-into-belly lean with feet firmly on the floor before attempting any lift
Take care
- Take care with wrist injuries or carpal tunnel symptoms — the reversed wrist position is very demanding, so skip it if your wrists are sensitive
- Approach cautiously with elbow or shoulder injuries, and avoid pressing the elbows into a recently full stomach or during pregnancy
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one
- Wrist wedge — Reduces the wrist angle in plank, chaturanga, and arm balances. Worth trying before concluding your wrists can't do this. find one
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. All gear recommendations