Eight Angle (Astavakrasana)

Type: Arm balance
Level: Advance

Steps:
From seated pose with the legs stretched out in front, bend the right knee to the chest and bring your right arm to the inside of the bent right leg. Take hold of the right foot or ankle with both hands and begin to snuggle the underside of your right knee behind your right shoulder. Hook the right leg firmly behind the right shoulder. Place the palms down either side of your hips and spread the fingers wide. Keep the chest lifted and collarbone wide. Pick up the left leg and cross your left ankle over your right. Begin to the bend the elbows to a 90 degree angle (Chaturanga arms). Keep the legs as straight as possible and have build resistance between the ankles as if you are pulling them apart. Avoid the left shoulder collapsing.

Stay in the pose for 3-5 full breaths, then gradually lift the torso, straight the arms and set your bottom back to the ground to come out of the pose. Then repeat on the other side.

Props & Assistance:
• Rest the bottom hip and outer leg on a bolster to help with balance.

Preparatory poses:
•Standing Forward Bend
•Chaturanga Plank (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)
•Bound angle
•Extended Side Angle Pose

Follow up poses:
•Two-Handed Arm Balance
•Shoulder pressing pose

Benefits:
•Strengthens the wrists and arms
•Tones abdominal muscles

Caution/Avoid:
•Wrist, elbow, or shoulder problems
•If you are thinking of starting yoga and have a medical condition, it is advisable to check with your doctor.

Sarah Williams is a Qualified Yoga Teacher based in London with an online presence @sarahlucyyoga on Instagram and Facebook. She also blogs about yoga and health & wellbeing topics on her website. Sarah’s focus is Vinyasa Flow, Hatha and Ashtanga styles of yoga and she completed part of her yoga teacher training in India.
As well as being a certified yoga teacher Sarah is also a Chartered Accountant. She fell in love with yoga as it was a release from the office, it taught her to value her health and improved the attitude she had towards life and herself. As a teacher she is able to pass on the benefits of yoga to her students and finds the job incredibly rewarding.

She has completed her 300 hr advanced teacher training from Sampoorna Yoga Goa in January-February 2019. If interested in Yoga Teacher Training please browse our Teacher Training page