Are you Harry Potter astride your flying broomstick in pursuit of the golden snitch in

the Quidditch games? No, youre a peacock, flying fast, like a stick with its own
volition, barreling headfirst through space in defiance of gravity And instead of being
in the magical land of Hogwarts, you are flying high on your yoga mat !kay, maybe
thats an e"aggeration #ut, oh$ %he desire to fly$
&n yoga practice, mayurasana not only resembles the peacock, it also invokes the
peacocks special powers %o balance its long neck and e"travagant tail feathers, which
are carried straight out behind it both in flight and on the ground 'unless its fanning
them for a mating ritual(, the peacocks stout legs are situated at the center of its torso,
e"actly where we place our arms and hands at the navel center to become the )feet* of
mayurasana
+ayurasana not only resembles the peacock, it also invokes the peacock,s special
powers
According to the yoga tradition, the navel center is the home of digestive fire,
responsible for radiant health &mbalances at the navel center result in digestive
problems and are the root of many illnesses +ayurasana strongly affects the liver, gall
bladder, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, and circulatory system, as well as the nerve
ple"us in the abdomen As a result, the peacock pose strengthens and tones digestion,
invigorates the entire body, and is particularly treasured for cleansing and eliminating
to"ins
According to the yoga tradition, the navel center is the home of digestive fire,
responsible for radiant health
&n addition to its signature tail feathers, the peacock is noted for its ability to eat
poisonous snakes, scorpions, and other odious reptiles and insects &ts digestion is so
strong that it turns poison into nourishment And this is e"actly what the Hatha Yoga
Pradipika says of mayurasana- .ven kalakuta, the archetypal deadly poison, can be
digested by one who practices the peacock pose
!n the subtle level, a powerful )digestion* allows us to handle more than /ust a dinner
of pi00a and cheesecake 1reed, anger, /ealousy, an"iety, insecurity, sadness, and
spiritual ignorance2these are the more subtle to"ins needing digestion or elimination
%he energetic essence 'or prana( of the digestive fire invokes enthusiasm, courage,
vitality, willpower, self3confidence, and self3mastery %his fire is the force of
transformation, not only of food to energy and heat, but of the base metal of instinct and
limited self3awareness to the gold of pure consciousness &t is the fire of discrimination
that illuminates consciousness
%he peacock,s digestion is so strong that it turns poison into nourishment
&n 4anskrit, the name kalakuta literally means )time trick* or the deception of time2
because the yogis believe that the failure to recogni0e our timeless, immortal self is the
poison of spiritual ignorance %o swallow and digest kalakuta, they say, is to unlock the
power hidden in the body and nervous system that allows us to transform our e"clusive
identification with physical e"istence, thus escaping time, and also gravity
%ransformation, e"perience of flight, cure of diseases, and resistance to poisonsall
without attending Hogwarts
Preparation
+ayurasana should be practiced in the middle or near the end of a complete se5uence of
postures2preferably after sun salutations, standing poses, and seated postures %he
following short se5uence will help you develop the strength and integration youll need
to master the pose
Hip Balance and Scale Pose
%hese poses strengthen the lumbar spine and integrate the pelvis and legs with the upper
body 6or hip balance, sit with your spine straight, feet flat on the floor in front of you
Press your hands into the floor /ust behind the pelvis to support and elongate the erect,
neutral spine %hen bring your arms alongside the legs, keeping the length in the torso
Hold the back of your thighs if you lose your alignment Note the engagement in the
lower abdomen and deep in the pelvis Now lift one foot and then the other, so you are
balancing on your sit bones 7our weight may shift back slightly, but dont slouch or let
your spine buckle 4traighten your legs if strength and fle"ibility allow Hold for several
breaths
%hen lower the feet to the floor, cross the ankles, or sit in padmasana 'lotus pose(
for tolasana 'scale pose( Place your hands on the floor near the hips and lift your pelvis
and legs up off the floor 8ift strongly through the pelvis and legs, so your arms and
shoulders are not doing all the work Hold for several breaths, then e"hale down 9epeat
the hip balance and then tolasana

Locust Pose
Shalabhasana 'the locust pose( develops strength in the lumbar spine and back of the
body %he movement in the legs and pelvis is the same as in mayurasana 8ie on your
stomach with your legs together and your chin on the floor 4lide your arms under your
body with the forearms as close together as possible :eep your arms straight and either
interlace your fingers thumb side down, or press your palms or fists into the floor
&nhaling, press your arms down into the floor and lift the legs, reaching out and up
through the toes :eep the legs no more than hip3width apart Hold briefly, then lower
slowly back to the floor 4it back in balasana'childs pose( to release the lower back
Wrist Stretch
%o avoid strain in the wrists during mayurasana, open up the fingers, hands, forearms,
and shoulders with this preparatory stretch 4it on your heels with your arms straight out
in front of you, hands on the floor with the fingers pointed toward the body, little
fingers touching 4pread your fingers and press evenly through the palms toward the
floor +ove your arms toward each other &ntensify the stretch by strongly pressing the
heels of your hands into the floor and at the same time lengthening the forearms by
drawing the torso and upper back away from the arms Press your forearms away from
the body, taking care not to hyper e"tend your elbows %hen release and rotate your
hands a few times in both directions and shake out your wrists
Peacock Pose
4it on your heels with your knees apart Place your hands on the floor between the
knees with the fingers pointing straight toward the pelvis #end your elbows and lean
forward, bringing the elbows into the sides of the abdomen as low down as possible
7our torso rests on the upper arms, and your head will come to the floor 4hift your
weight forward and bring the legs straight out behind you, toes turned under ;ontract
the pelvic floor, roll the thighs in toward each other, and use your toes to shift your
weight forward Now lift your legs, one at a time, and then lift the head, and fly$
7ou may feel like a teeter3totter at first as you try to find a balance between the pelvis
and legs and the chest and head
7ou may feel like a teeter3totter at first as you try to find a balance between the pelvis
and legs and the chest and head :eep your inner thighs, outer hips, and pelvic floor
actively engaged #reathe and hold, lengthening through the crown of the head and out
through the legs and feet, lifting up off your arms %o release, lower your feet and knees
to the floor and sit back on your heels 4hake out your wrists and note the flush of
energy through the body
Short-Tailed Peacock
+ayurasana is typically more difficult for women, whose center of gravity is lower than
men Anyone with heavy legs and pelvis and short arms will have to work much harder
to lift the lower body, since the center of gravity will not be over the elbows !ne way
to lighten the load is to fold the legs into padmasana 'lotus pose( to bring more of the
weight of the lower body closer to the elbows '&f padmasana is not accessible for you,
try the pose with your knees bent, feet together, and knees out to the side as in baddha
konasana( &f you dont get off the floor, dont worry <ust by making the effort you will
begin to e"perience the benefits of the pose
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