Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I Step-By-Step
- Start from a standing position at the front of your mat.
- Bring your hands to the mat in front of your feet and step your feet back, keeping your hips lifted, to move into downward-facing dog.
- Gaze between your hands.
- Bend your elbows to 90 degrees to lower your chest towards the ground then bring your right knee to rest on your left elbow.
- Come onto your toes on your left foot.
- Keep your core engaged as you turn your gaze to look forwards.
- Bring your forehead closer to the ground as you tip your weight forward and lift your back leg.
- Point the toes of your back leg away.
- Slowly straighten your right leg out to the left.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I Quick Look
Sanskrit Name: Eka Pada Koundinyanasana I
Pose Type: Arm Balance Yoga Poses, Twist Yoga Poses
Difficulty Level: Intermediate pose
Targets: Core, shoulders, wrists, glutes, hamstrings, quads
Benefits: This pose strengthens the arms and core while enabling you to really focus on full-body balance.
Preparatory Poses: Chaturanga, Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I pose, noose pose, reclining hand-to-big-toe pose, side crow pose, crow pose
Notes
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I is a strengthening transition to make once you’re comfortable in crow pose and side crow pose.
A twist and an arm balance all rolled into one, this pose is a lot of fun to experiment with to improve the strength in your arms and progress towards more difficult arm balances.
“This pose is one that looks fairly complicated but is actually quite straightforward,” says Yoga Answered contributor Keira Shepherd. “The main focus is creating balance in the arms and strength in the core.”
Beginner’s Tip
To help you balance, you can bring a bolster under your side foot and a chair to support your back foot.
Another option is to bring a pillow underneath the forehead – this can give you more confidence to tip your weight forward without worrying that you’ll land face-first on the floor!
Remember to gaze forwards when practicing this pose! It will be easier for you to find your balance.
Contraindications
- Avoid this pose if you have any injury to the wrists or shoulders.
- If you have any back pain, injuries, or problems, don’t practice this pose.
- Avoid when pregnant.
Variation
From a place of resting your right knee on your left elbow, keep the knee bent instead of straightening it. You could also practice crow pose to work towards Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II.