The pose dedicated to the sage Kasyapa.

Any of the postures dedicated to a sage are among the most difficult poses to work on. They are often arm balances like Kasyapasana, and they take persistence. They are also among the most gratifying to achieve because of the hard work and dedication you have to put in to get them.

You already know yoga is transformational: The practice strengthens your body, focuses your mind, and tempers your nervous system. But the most powerful shift occurs when you realize you can do something you didn’t think was possible. And when you exceed your own expectations, you feel a sense of empowerment that flows into every facet of your life.

For many students this occurs when they finally achieve an arm balance. Watching someone perform a challenging pose can be inspiring, and they may make it look deceptively easy. The process of breaking down a posture and working on its individual parts can be a fun challenge if you allow it to be.

Kasyapasana is a combination of Side Plank and Half Lotus with a bind. Most arm balances require core and shoulder strength. But this arm balance also requires hip and shoulder flexibility. The other unusual thing about this particular arm balance is that in most poses that include Half Lotus, the hip is flexed. This makes it easier to bind the foot. Kasyapasana makes it more challenging by extending the hip.

To work on this arm balance, we will work on the following poses:

For the core strength: Side Plank and Side Plank with Tree Variation