Fallen Angel Pose, Devaduuta Panna Asana
devaduuta (angel) + panna (fallen down) + asana (pose)
Also Known as: Fallen Triangle
Pose Type: Balancing, Strengthening, Inversion, Twisting
Difficulty: Advanced
Add a bit of challenge and play to your practice and build courage with this graceful pose.
Fallen Angel Pose Fundamentals
Fallen Angel is a beautiful pose, which will challenge you in a whole new way. It is a forward bend, hip opener, twist, arm balance, and inversion in one, so it combines the benefits of all these movements.
Fallen Angel is also very challenging – you will need to already have an established arm balance practice before attempting it.
It also requires a good level of flexibility in the hips and torso, as well as strength in the arms and core.
The pose is a progression from Side Crow Pose, so make sure you master that asana before proceeding to Fallen Angel.
Once you feel ready, you can expect to reveal an entirely new way to build your strength, awareness, and balance skills.
The most important thing to have in mind when it comes to alignment in this pose is that it appears you are resting your weight on the neck – but your head should be only touching the ground. Like in a headstand, the head isn’t bearing any weight, you will rather hold yourself up using the strength of your shoulders, arms, and core.
The practice of this pose will build a sense of confidence and awareness, and encourage mindfulness – you will need to clear your thoughts and focus to be able to hold the asana.Fallen Angel Pose may also teach you to be patient and be easy on yourself, as it may take some time to master it. Still, it will teach you will gain much more by going slow than forcing anything and to enjoy the journey towards the asana, rather than focusing on results alone.
Fallen Angel Pose Benefits
- Builds strength in the wrists, shoulders, core, and arms.
- Improves mobility in the hips and spine, which may release any back issues.
- Improves your sense of balance and body awareness.
- The inversion boosts blood circulation to the head, which may improve mental function and calm the mind.
- The twist massages the internal organs, aiding with digestion and detoxification.
How To Do Fallen Angel Pose: Step-By-Step
How To Get There:
1. Begin in a low squat, with your knees close to each other and heels lifted.
2. Twist your torso to the right and engage your abs.
3. Place your hands on the floor next to the right thigh, shoulder-width distance apart.
4. Shift your weight towards the arms and bend your elbows as you would for Chaturanga.
5. Rest your right thigh on the arms and lift both feet off the ground. Look towards the left.
6. Now, slowly lower on the right side of your head – but make sure you are still bearing weight in your arms and shoulders.
7. Activate your core and thighs to lift the left leg up towards the sky. Extend the left leg fully, but leave the right knee on your left arm.
8. Keep your feet and core engaged to help you gain a sense of strength and lifting.
9. Once you’re ready to release, first rest a bit in a Seated Forward Bend or Child’s Pose, and only then move to the other side.
Tips And Tricks:
- Before practicing Fallen Angel, warm up. Perform a couple of Sun Salutations, as well as twists, hip-openers, and arm-strengthening poses like Plank or Chaturanga.
- You can both flex or point your toes – however, do keep them active, as that will help you stay lifted in the pose.
- Your hands should sit shoulder width apart, the upper arms are parallel to each other and the fingers are spread wide.
- Pressing the palms firmly into the mat and pulling your ab muscles in will help you feel stability and balance in the pose.
Fallen Angel Pose Variation:
Fallen Angel Pose Variation: Side Crow Pose
Fallen Angel is an advanced variation of Side Crow, so you should practice that pose first.
Once you’re able to hold Side Crow with confidence, you can begin to try progressing to Fallen Angel.
To enter Side Crow, simply follow only the first 5 steps from our step-by-step explanation above. You can also read a more detailed explanation in our Side Crow guide here.
Precautions & Contraindications:
Common misalignments
Placing weight on the neck. What makes this pose seem intimidating is that it looks like the neck is bearing the weight of the body. However, none of the weight should be placed on the neck and head – they are only lightly touching the ground. Instead, you will manage the weight on your shoulders and arms.
Injuries and Conditions
Refrain from practicing Fallen Angel Pose if you have an injury or any other issue in the neck, shoulders, wrists, back, or hips. Also, avoid if you have high or low blood pressure. The pose isn’t recommended during pregnancy.
Related Poses
Preparatory Poses:
Counter Poses:
Wind Relieving Pose
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