YanvaYoga > Yoga Poses > Firefly Pose

Firefly Pose - Tittibhasana

Firefly Pose - YanvaYoga

Contents

Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana) is an advanced arm balance pose which requires a strong core and flexible hamstrings. It also engages the arms and shoulders. It requires both flexibility and strength. For the intermediate to advanced student who has learned other arm balances, this one is actually easier than it looks.

Pose Detail

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Separate your feet a little less than shoulder distance apart and squat down until your seat is almost parallel to the floor.
Step 2
Tuck in your right shoulder behind your right leg and then the left shoulder behind the left leg. Legs are still bent.
Step 3
Place your hands down on the floor just outside your heels. Hands are shoulder distance apart and fingers spread wide. The arms are straight.
Step 4
Start lowering your seat and lean back a little so you feel the weight shifting into your hands instead of your feet.
Step 5
Constantly squeeze your legs into your midline so they stay behind your shoulders. A common problem in this pose is that they start sliding down your arms.
Step 6
Lift your feet off the ground and stretch your legs out. The energy in your toes is aiming forward+upwards and your seat is in the opposite direction. Legs are still on your shoulders and arms remain straight. Gaze forward.
Step 7
To get out of the pose return the same way you came into it.

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

Firefly pose stretches the hamstring, groin, and back torso;

improves hip flexibility;

opens the chest;

helps you find new strength and perspective.

Contraindications

shoulder, elbow, wrist, or low back injury

pregnancy

recent surgegy

Photo poses in different angles

Modification, Props & Tips

Note that some yogis find stability in this pose with their hips low and their feet high, and others with their legs more parallel to the ground. Both are correct, and how you practice this pose will depend on your hip and hamstring flexibility, arm and core strength, and bone structure.

Pro tip: Try using a yoga block under your hands the first several times you try this pose. Using blocks adds length to your arms and lifts your center of gravity so you don’t have to bend as deeply with your legs. Many yogis find it easier to balance this way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

  • Bent Knee Low Firefly
  • Firefly On Blocks
  • Elephant's Trunk Pose

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Iana Varshavska
Iana Varshavska
Website administrator

In love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. Iana is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who has completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification by the Yoga Alliance U.S. In addition to that, she is constantly studying and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy, biomechanics, and holodynamics.