Bird Dog Flow: Core, Balance and More

Bird Dog Pose (Parsva Balasana) may not be one of yoga’s most popular poses, but this humble asana confers a surprising number of benefits. Just guessing, but its English name suggests that it was added to the asana canon sometime during Britain’s occupation of India. It’s been a worthy addition. Several years ago, during my asana practice, I developed a vinyasa-type flow that begins with Bird Dog Pose. As the foundation of a Bird Dog Flow, Parsva Balasana’s possibilities are almost endless.

In this post, I’ll include photos and brief descriptions of each pose. There are already posts describing the first two poses in the Hugger Mugger blog. I’ll add links to give you more detail. There are general instructions for the last three poses. But first, a reminder of the benefits of Bird Dog Pose.

Bird Dog Benefits

Here’s why Bird Dog Pose should be a part of your regular asana routine:

• strengthens and stabilizes the core.
• stabilizes the low back.
• challenges, and therefore increases, your ability to balance.
• may promote balance between the right and left lobes of your brain through the contralateral relationships between the arms and legs.
• a core strengthener that’s easier on your back than crunches or sit-ups.

How to Practice Bird Dog Flow

• Begin on hands and knees in Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) on a Yoga Mat. You might want to place a folded Yoga Blanket under your knees. In Bird Dog Flow, you’ll be spending a lot of time on one knee!
• Take a few breaths to settle into the pose.

Bird Dog Pose (Photo at Top)

• Stretch your left leg back behind you.
• If your balance feels stable, stretch your right arm forward.
• Take 3 to 5 breaths here.

Bird Dog Variation

• Bend your left knee and reach your right hand back toward your left foot.
• Either take hold of your left foot, or if your hand doesn’t reach, simply extend your right hand and left foot toward one another.
• Take 3 to 5 breaths.

Side Plank Variation (Parsva Phalakasana)

• Release the hold of your left foot and return to Bird Dog Pose.
• Supported by your right knee on the floor, rotate your body to the right so that you’re facing straight ahead, placing your right hand on the floor. Now you’re supported by your right hand and right knee.
• Extend your left arm out with your upper arm close to your ear.
• Reach your left foot down into the floor to stretch your entire left side.
• Take 3 to 5 breaths here.

Side Plank with Leg Lift

• Now lift your left leg up so that it’s approximately parallel to the floor.
• Continue to stretch your left arm out as you stretch your leg in the opposite direction.
• If your balance feels shaky, turn your right toes under. That can create a bit more stability.
• Take 3 to 5 breaths here.

Add a Backbend to Side Plank Pose

• Bend your left knee.
• Reach your left hand back and take hold of the left foot.
• Press your left foot into your hand to stretch the front of the shoulder and chest.
• Take 3 to 5 breaths here.
• Return to Tabletop Pose.
• Relax for a few breaths in Child’s Pose (Balasana) before practicing Bird Dog Flow on the other side.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell discovered yoga in 1982 and began teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. Her third book is titled Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protecting the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Pain (Shambhala Publications). She writes a monthly column for CATALYST Magazine and serves as editor for Yoga U Online. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and folk sextet Red Rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy awards.