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Master Baby Grasshopper Pose: Explore 2 Different Ways to Access This Fun Arm Balance (Photo Tutorial)

Coming from the realm of yoga play rather than serious yoga asana, Baby Grasshopper Pose doesn’t have a Sanskrit name.

You’ll balance on one leg and one arm in this pose, making it a great arm balance option for yogis who are new to arm balancing or who aren’t quite ready to trust their arms to hold their full body weight.
 

This yoga pose tutorial will guide you through two different ways to get into the pose, so you can master it in no time.

 
Baby Grasshopper looks more complicated than it is, and this yoga pose tutorial will guide you through two different ways to get into the pose, so you can master it in no time.

Note: This yoga pose puts a lot of pressure on your knees, so be careful when trying Baby Grasshopper for the first time and consider skipping it if you’ve had a knee injury.
 
 

Take Flight in Grasshopper Pose with this Online Arm Balancing Yoga Program

Yoga Program
With Leah Sugerman

Arm balances are the playful side of our yoga practice! Learn a variety of the most common arm balances in this 8-video series from YA Classes. This program includes warm-up stretches and techniques to safely prepare for your arm balance practice and instructions on how to access various arm balances, including Grasshopper Pose. Not yet a member of YA Classes? Try it out for free for 14 days.
 
 

Before Practicing Baby Grasshopper Pose, Be Sure to Properly Warm Up

This arm balance yoga pose is demanding on the knees and shoulders, so make sure your body is prepared by completing:

  • Three to five rounds of Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B)
  • Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)
  • Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
  • Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi 1 (Marichyasana 1)
  • Core work such as Boat Pose (Navasana)

 
Need a Sun Salutation refresher? Learn Surya Namaskar A and B: Sun Salutation Flow Photo Tutorial
 
 

Baby Grasshopper Pose Approach #1: Start From a Seat

This entrance to Baby Grasshopper Pose starts on the floor with a lift up away from the mat.
 

1. Start in Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Baby Grasshopper Seated 1

Let’s try it:

  • Take a seat and stretch your legs out in front of you roughly hip-distance apart
  • Flex your feet and press out through your heels
  • Press your thighs down, but don’t hyperextend your legs
  • Lengthen your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head
  • Engage your core and pull your navel in toward your spine
  • Broaden across your collar bones and pull your shoulder blades toward each other
  • Release your hands by your sides and let your palms or fingertips rest on the mat

 

 
 

2. Bend Your Right Leg

Baby Grasshopper Seated 2

Let’s try it:

  • Bend your right leg and bring your knee toward your chest
  • Place your right foot firmly on the mat outside of your left leg and above your left knee
  • Turn your right foot so that your toes point away from your body
  • Twist your torso to the left following your bent right leg

 
Looking for more yoga tutorials and yoga tips? Check out our full library of Yoga articles here
 

3. Plant Your Left Hand

Baby Grasshopper Seated 3

Let’s try it:

  • Place your left hand on the mat in line with your shoulder and the toes of your right foot
  • Spread your finders wide facing away from your body
  • Reach your right arm skyward and then send it forward to help you find some length in your spine and space in your shoulder
  • Lean forward with your chest
  • Shift your weight slightly onto your left hip and the outer edge of your left leg
  • Your left knee and foot should now be facing toward the long side of your mat

 

4. Reach for Your Foot

Baby Grasshopper Seated 4

Let’s try it:

  • Keeping your right arm in front of your bent right leg, reach for your left foot
  • Grab your left foot from the inside or outside edge, whichever feels more secure for you. You can also use a yoga strap to reach your foot or grab your ankle if your hand does not reach your foot
  • Keep your left foot flexed and your core engaged

 

5. Lift Your Foot and Lean Forward

Baby Grasshopper Seated 5

Let’s try it:

  • Bring your head back to a neutral position and gaze forward
  • Lift your left foot off the mat using your core to stabilize you
  • Snug your left elbow in toward your ribs

 

6. Float Into Baby Grasshopper Pose

Baby Grasshopper Seated 6 and Standing 4

Let’s try it:

  • On your next exhale, lean forward like in Chaturanga, shifting all your weight into your left hand and right foot
  • As you lean forward float your hips up off the mat by lifting your core and engaging your Root Lock (Mula Bandha)
  • Your right arm should be at or close to a right angle with your shoulder and elbow in line with each other
  • Keep your left leg straight and engaged and your foot flexed
  • Maintain a steady gaze and lengthen through your spine
  • Broaden across your collarbones to open your chest

 
Not sure about bandhas? Here’s A Quick Guide to Understand the Bandhas and Deepen Your Yoga Practice
 
 

Baby Grasshopper Pose Approach #2: Start Standing

Some yogis find it easier to access this arm balance yoga pose from a standing position, where you’re sending your weight down into Baby Grasshopper instead of lifting up into it. You may feel a bit less like you’re tied up in a knot starting this way.

Regardless, it’s best to experiment with both options of how to access Baby Grasshopper Pose so you can determine which is best for your body.
 

1. Start in a Forward Fold

Baby Grasshopper Standing 1

Let’s try it:

  • From Mountain Pose, fold forward by hinging at the hips
  • Bend your knees as needed so that you can place your hands on the mat just wider than shoulder width
  • Actively press your feet into the ground, lift your sits bones up, and slightly internally rotate your thighs
  • Engage and lift your quadriceps to help release your hamstrings
  • Release tension in your neck and gaze at the floor between your hands

 
 

 
 

2. Grab Your Left Foot

Baby Grasshopper Standing 2

Let’s try it:

  • Shift your weight into you right foot, pressing into all four corners of the foot
  • Bend your left leg behind you, sending your left foot out to the right
  • Flex your left foot
  • Grab either the inside or outside edge of your left foot with your right hand
  • Keep your left palm pressing firmly into the mat

 

3. Bend Your Right Knee and Extend Your Left Leg

Baby Grasshopper Standing 3

Let’s try it:

  • Bend your right knee and begin to lower your hips as you extend your left leg out to the right
  • Shimmy your left palm wider on the mat as needed to support your upper body
  • Engage your core to help with stability
  • Lengthen through your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head
  • Gaze forward at the mat

 

4. Lower Into Baby Grasshopper Pose

Baby Grasshopper Standing4

Let’s try it:

  • As you lower your hips more, thread your knee through the space between your right arm and left leg
  • Bend your left arm like in Chaturanga, bringing your shoulder and elbow in line with each other
  • Keep your left leg straight and engaged and your foot flexed
  • Snug your left elbow in toward your ribs
  • Keep your spine long and your chest open by broadening across your collarbones
  • Bring your gaze forward off the mat

 
Looking for more fun poses to try? Get Playful with This 10-Step Super Soldier Pose Tutorial
 
 

Have Fun Playing With Baby Grasshopper Pose!

Once you’re stable in Baby Grasshopper Pose, you can play around a bit by bringing your gaze to your extended foot. To come out of the pose slowly lower your hips to the mat, release your foot, and unwind. Take a Forward Fold and twist of your choice to release.

Keep in mind that this pose is about adding some play to your practice – not perfection. So enjoy a smile and a laugh as you try Baby Grasshopper Pose for the first, or maybe fiftieth time. 🙂

Ready for a bigger challenge? Challenge Yourself With This 6-Step Grasshopper Pose Tutorial (Also Known as Dragonfly Pose)

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Tonya Wetzel

Tonya is the founder of Faithful Flow. With a passion for teaching and writing, she believes that faith and yoga pair perfectly to create a fulfilling, balanced, and joy-filled life. Tonya is a travel enthusiast who loves the outdoors and adventure. When not on her yoga mat teaching or practicing, you’ll find her hiking and exploring the great outdoors, curling up with a book, or volunteering at the local animal shelter. She is currently based in beautiful Coastal Mississippi, where she lives with her husband and three rescue dogs. Visit Faithfulflow.com to learn more about her work and passion for yoga.

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