An arm balance with both legs extended out to the side?! Eight angle pose (or  a stavakrasana —a name inspired by the story of the sage Astavakra) requires a lot from us yogis: upper body strength, supple hips, and heck of a lot of determination. 

Whether you've practiced astavakrasana plenty, or never practiced it before, this step-by-step asana breakdown will make it a lot more fun and accessible!  Read on to learn prep poses, setup, and refinements for this powerful asana. We also provide a super-useful prop tip that will help you find more ease (and more height!) in this asana. (Teachers, you're definitely going to want to share that tip with your students!)

 

So, are you ready? Unroll your mat, and let's begin.