Fallen Angel or in Sanskrit, Devaduuta Panna Asana, is a beautiful pose that requires grace, strength, vulnerability, and surrender. It’s a great reminder that even angels can fall. Below is a breakdown of how to safetly get into and out of this pose.

1. Begin in mountain pose (tadasana) with arms by the sides.

2. On your inhale come into chair pose (utkatasana).  With big toes and inner thighs touching, bend at the knees, lower the hips , tailbone down eliminating the arching from the lower back, and shift the shins back to encourage the weight into the heals.

3.  With hands together at the heart (anjali mudra) twist to the right on the exhale breath, hooking theleft elbow to the outside of the right thigh, coming into side prayer twist  or chair pose twist (parivrtta utkatasana).

4. Wiggle left arm as far down the right thigh as possible, deepening the twist. Bring the knees in line with one another, press the right palm into the left, roll the right shoulder back. Extend your heart away from your chest and lean the upper body back. Hold for 3-5 breathes.

5. Staying in the twist, place both hands on the mat shoulder distance apart, fingertips pointing away from the right thigh.

6. Bend the elbows to create a shelf , bring the elbows directly on top of the wrists, and lean forward and begin to lift the shins up parallel to the mat, coming into side crow pose (parsva bakasana). Keep the inner thighs squeezing in and the inner elbows firming in towards one another

7. From side crow pose turn gaze toward the bent knees and slowly lower the right temple onto the mat . The right shoulder will decend for the mat but will not touch.

8. Hinge the hips and reach the left toes up towards the ceiling, sending the energy and strength up the leg and through the toes. The bottom, or right toes, will reach up for the ceiling. Keep the right knee bent when rolling from the outer to the top of the right thig. Hinge until both feet are reaching up, left leg stays straight and right knee remains bent.

9. If possible hold for 3-8 deep breathes.

10. Lower and bend left knee, roll back onto the outer right thing, bring shins parallel to the mat.

11. Lift right temple off the mat, returning to side crow.

12. Set the feet down, come back into chair pose twist.

13. Untwist, bring the hands back to the heart  in chair pose.

14. Straighten the legs, release the arms to the side.

15. Repeat on other side.