Asana
Mayurasana - Peacock Pose
Arm Balances - Core Exercises - Backbend Poses
Mayurasana is a challenging pose which offers superb training of the back muscles to lift the entire torso, pelvis, and legs which gives rock solid support through the pelvic and abdominal cavity.
Progression
Training for Mayurasana should start with the wrists. To make sure your wrist are in good condition first learn the wrist conditioning exercise. Some other good indications for being ready for peacock pose are having a steady 1-2 minute plank with comfortable wrists and hands, and being able to easily bring the elbows together over the slower plexus and outward shoulder rotation, and of course having comfortable flexion of the wrists of 90*
Now with this arrangement of the arms and in a Kneeling Virasana bring the forehead slowly to the floor. Take a few breaths to establish comfort bearing weight through the hands and forehead if you like. With a bandha-nated exhale engage through the shoulders and lift the head and knees from the ground. See how high you can lift on a single breath then engage to maintain that height with even breathing.
Another method of entering the pose is to step both legs back from the kneeling position, then lifting the head, then lifting one or both legs at a time.
A good preparation exercise for Peacock Pose is single leg lifts Salabhasana.
Now with this arrangement of the arms and in a Kneeling Virasana bring the forehead slowly to the floor. Take a few breaths to establish comfort bearing weight through the hands and forehead if you like. With a bandha-nated exhale engage through the shoulders and lift the head and knees from the ground. See how high you can lift on a single breath then engage to maintain that height with even breathing.
Another method of entering the pose is to step both legs back from the kneeling position, then lifting the head, then lifting one or both legs at a time.
A good preparation exercise for Peacock Pose is single leg lifts Salabhasana.
Final Alignment
We might say that a final alignment for Peacock Pose could be having both legs lifted straight and very high, or whole body level to the floor perpendicular to the the forearms, or Padmayurasana with legs and chest high, reminiscent of Cock Pose.
Assisting
The best kind of assisting of this pose is checking good technique of your students or friend in application of the pose especially relating to wrist strength.