“Krouncha means a heron. It is also the name of a mountain, said to be the grandson of Himalaya and to have been pierced by Kartikeya, the god of war, and by Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Visnu.” BKS Iyengar Light on Yoga
In the full expression of Krounchasana (10* on the 60* scale of difficulty), you place your chin on the knee of your vertical leg. Iyengar explains that the “raised leg resembles the outstretched neck and head of a heron, also a precipice. Hence the name.”
If I’m really trying to prove something to myself, I can touch my chin to my knee. But, when I do, the entire pose collapses. My thoracic (middle) spine and lumbar spine round dramatically and my weight moves off of my sit bones and towards my sacrum. There’s nothing about this misalignment that looks like the graceful, outstretched neck of a heron or the drama of a precipice.
Iyengar’s version of Krounchasana does include a slight rounding of the spine, but his spine rounds because when he draws his elbows down toward the ground, it broadens his back. Also, his torso completely presses against his thigh. His spine may be slightly curved, but nothing about the pose looks forced or misaligned.
So, rather than yanking my chin to my knee in a vain attempt to “achieve the pose”, I choose to embody Krounchasana in a way that best expresses its intention: graceful, angular sturdiness. I lift my leg as high to my chest as I can without tilting my sitbones up toward my vertical leg. This prevents rounding in my spine and maintains an angular quality to the pose. While my version may not look like Iyengar’s, it still rings true to the pose’s intention – and that’s all that counts.
Iyengar’s Krounchasana:
Iyengar’s Prep for Krounchasana, and My Krounchasana:
Related posts:
- Small Adjustments for a Sweeter Side Stretch in Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee Pose)
- Adjusting to the Light on Yoga: Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle)
- Sitting Strong in Dandasana (Staff Pose)
- Resting Your Head in Paryankasana (Couch Pose)
- Steady as you go: Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Tags: alignment, asana, Iyengar, Krounchasana, Light on Yoga, yoga
