The stork is a symbol of good luck. Make a wish when you practice the stork, and you might just get what you ask for. This pose is one of the easier balance poses. It teaches two important skills: stillness and focus. We sometimes call this pose “crane,” even though storks and cranes are not really the same kind of bird. They are both long-necked, large members of the avian family. Storks live in both dry and wet environments, whereas cranes tend to live mostly around water. How can you tell them apart? Have you ever heard the phrase, “crane your neck”? That means “to stretch out one’s neck.” Cranes have necks that they bend, or “fold” while they’re flying and resting.
Instructions
- Begin in mountain pose. Breathe evenly in and out.
- Gaze at a focus friend to help you balance, as you bend your left knee and lift your left foot off the ground.
- Keep your leg in a right angle or tuck your foot inside your knee.
- Lift your right arm and bend it at the elbow. Relax your wrist.
- Begin by holding the pose for 5 seconds. With patience and practice, your wobbling will wane and you will become an expert at this balancing act.
Activity Ideas for Home or Classroom
Ecological Echoes
Swamps and marshes are some of the stork’s favorite restaurants. On the menu are insects, fish, frogs, reptiles, young birds and small mammals. Do you eat some of the same foods as the stork?
Math Medley
Count the number of seconds you can hold your stork pose. Try to increase your balance for a few more seconds than last time. Soon you’ll be up to a minute, or even two or three minutes. How many seconds is that? (Hint: 60 seconds = 1 minute.)
Bridge of Diamonds
Storks are loving and nurturing parents. The legend that the stork brings the new baby arises from the fact that they take very good care of their young.