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🤸 Arm Balance

Parsva Bhuja Dandasana

Grasshopper Pose

Difficulty★★★★★

TierExpert

SEGA Tariff9.0

Hold Time10s

SEGA AI Scoring Specification

Reference IDASANA-STD-135

Difficulty Tier5 of 5

SEGA Tariff Score9.0

Required Hold10 seconds

CategoryArm Balance

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Properties

What kind of pose this is

A posture supporting the whole body on the hands. Arm balances are strength and technique first and flexibility second — the wrists are the limiting factor for most people.

Hold: Hold for about 10 seconds. Beginners should build up to this rather than starting there; come out early if the breath becomes ragged.

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Preparation

How to do Grasshopper Pose

Warm the wrists thoroughly — circles, flexion and extension — before any weight goes into them.
Spread the fingers wide and grip the mat with the fingertips; the base of the index finger must stay down.
Build the shape close to the floor first, and place a cushion or folded blanket where the face would land.
Engage the core fully before shifting weight forward onto the hands.
Shift gradually — arm balances are a weight transfer, not a jump.
Come down under control and release the wrists afterwards with gentle counter-stretches.
An elite competition-level shape. It should only be practised by trained athletes under direct supervision, on a warm body, with the prerequisites genuinely established. Attempting this from a video is how people get hurt.

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Musculature

Which part of the body works

Primary musclesSerratus anterior, deltoids, triceps, wrist flexors and extensors, deep core

Supporting musclesPectorals, latissimus dorsi, hip flexors, adductors

Joints loadedWrist (highest load), elbow, shoulder; spine held actively

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Health benefits

What this pose is for

Builds substantial upper-body and core strength
Improves wrist and shoulder-girdle resilience when progressed properly
Trains fear management and precise weight transfer
Highly focusing — no arm balance tolerates a distracted mind
Siddha / Varma note: Traditional Siddha-Varma associates arm balances with the shoulder-girdle and wrist lines; traditional context only, not medical guidance.

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Contraindications

Who should not practise this

Do not practise Grasshopper Pose if:

you have carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist tendinopathy or any painful wrist condition
you have a rotator cuff tear, shoulder impingement or unexplained shoulder pain
you have osteoporosis or a high fracture risk — a fall onto an outstretched hand is the classic wrist fracture
you are pregnant beyond the first trimester
you have had wrist, elbow or shoulder surgery in the last 6 months without clearance
you have uncontrolled high blood pressure
there is nothing soft placed where your face would land
you do not have a qualified teacher present — at difficulty level 5 this shape is not safe to learn alone

Clinical contraindications

Carpal tunnel syndrome or any acute wrist injury
Rotator cuff tear or shoulder impingement
Elbow injury (including tennis/golfer's elbow)
Recent wrist, elbow or shoulder surgery
Pregnancy beyond the first trimester
Osteoporosis or high fracture risk
Uncontrolled hypertension

Side effects & what people commonly feel

Wrist pain — by far the most common yoga complaint
Shoulder impingement if the shoulders are allowed to collapse
Bruising on the upper arms where the knees rest
Falls onto the face or chin

Applies to every pose on this site. Never practise into sharp, shooting or joint-line pain — muscular stretch is acceptable, joint pain is not. If you are pregnant, recovering from surgery or illness, or managing any diagnosed condition, get clearance from your doctor or physiotherapist before beginning, and tell your teacher. Post-surgical timelines given here are typical guidance only — your own surgeon's instruction always overrides them.

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Functional Biomechanics

The mechanics of the pose

Twisted hooked-leg arm balance with deep rotation.

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SEGA AI Judge System

How the AI scores this pose

The SEGA AI Judge System uses a movement-responsive scanning engine — the scoring window opens the moment the system detects the athlete entering the posture, not on an arbitrary countdown. For Grasshopper Pose, the scanning trigger works as follows:

▸ AI Scanning Trigger — Reference ASANA-STD-135

Scoring initialises at lift-off; the AI tracks the hover line, scapular position and steady centre of mass.

Once the trigger fires, the AI evaluates Execution (form geometry), Stability (centre-of-gravity control across the 10-second hold) and Difficulty (multiplied by the SEGA Tariff of 9.0) to produce the final score. The full tamper-evident record is written to the SEGA World Ranking archive.

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Heritage Medicine · Siddha & Varma

Which vital points this pose activates

Master Segar’s Siddha lineage teaches that every asana affects specific vital points and energy pathways in the body. This is the traditional understanding of Grasshopper Pose according to Varma Kalai and Siddha medicine.

Vital Point Stimulation

Traditional Siddha-Varma associates arm balances with the shoulder-girdle and wrist lines; traditional context only, not medical guidance.

This is a wellness description drawn from the Siddha tradition. It is not a medical claim. For clinical guidance please consult a registered healthcare professional or Prof. Master Segar Guru — a registered Siddha practitioner.

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Safety Protocol

Practise safely

Critical Safety Note

Warm the wrists first, spread the fingers to distribute load, and work over a soft surface until the balance is secure.

All asanas should be practised with breath awareness, gradual progression, and — where possible — under the guidance of a qualified teacher. If you have any injury, medical condition, are pregnant, or are new to yoga, please consult a qualified instructor before attempting this pose.

Master this asana with expert guidance

Learn Parsva Bhuja Dandasana under Master Segar’s direct instruction at the Sentul studio in Kuala Lumpur, or with our state partners in Perak and Negeri Sembilan.

See class schedules → ← Back to Asana Index

Important note. The SEGA Asana Index is an educational reference for the SEGA AI Judge System scoring criteria and traditional Siddha-Varma understanding. It is not a substitute for in-person instruction. All asana descriptions are educational; consult a qualified yoga teacher and, for medical guidance, a registered healthcare professional or Prof. Master Segar Guru — a registered Siddha practitioner.