Peacock

Peacock is an extremely challenging pose for advanced yogis. You need a lot of abdominal strength to properly execute it, and it may take a long time to master it, so be prepared to practice it regularly.

Begin in a forward fold with your hands on the floor but with the fingers pointed towards the back of your mat. Jump back into a downward dog position, keeping the hands as they were. Then begin to come down into a plank, bringing the elbows into the sides of the ribs.

Lean forward by bending your elbows and bringing your chin to the floor so that you can squeeze the elbows close together on the top of the abs. Make sure you’re firming up the abs at the same time. Once this position is established, you can then lean slowly into the arms further so that you can lift both legs up off the ground behind you. Keep the shoulders broad and focus on not arching the back at all by keeping the abdominals engaged throughout the movement. Then slowly bring your feet to the floor behind you and gently come out of the pose.

While it may be tempting to jump into difficult yoga poses because you see photos or videos of yoga instructors doing them with ease online, it’s important to remember that you need to be strong enough and you need to know how to execute these poses safely to avoid injuries.