How to Do Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana) in Yoga Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Yoga Poses How to Do Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana) in Yoga Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 15, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristin McGee, CPT Reviewed by Kristin McGee, CPT Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates and by the National Association of Sports Medicine. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ben Goldstein Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Benefits Step-by-Step Instructions Common Mistakes Modifications and Variations Safety and Precautions Try It Out Targets: Core, shoulders, arms Level: Advanced Firefly Pose is an advanced arm balance. It relies on core strength and having great flexibility in the hip flexors and hamstrings, as well as strong arms and shoulders. For the intermediate to advanced student who has learned other arm balances, this one is actually easier than it looks. Benefits This pose strengthens the wrists, forearms, shoulders, triceps, hip flexors, and core. It provides a stretch for the hamstrings, adductors, and outer hips. Practicing it will help improve your sense of balance. Traditionally, it is said to provide relief from stress. Step-by-Step Instructions Take your feet about 18 inches apart (this will vary a bit based on your size). Come into a forward bend with your knees slightly bent. Nestle your shoulders as far under your knees as you can. You can bend your knees more if you need too. It's OK if you can't get your knees all the way onto your shoulders. The thighs on the upper arms will do. Bring your palms flat on the floor just behind your feet. Bend your elbows slightly back as you would if you were heading into Chaturanga Dandasana. Don't bring the upper arms all the way to parallel with the floor, however. Begin to shift your weight back to rest on your upper arms. Let that slight backward momentum lift your feet up off the floor. Straighten your arms as much as possible. Straighten your legs and hug your upper arms strongly with your thighs. Flex your feet. To come out, bend your knees and tip your feet forward until they touch the floor again. (Or just sit down on your butt.) Common Mistakes To get the most from this pose, avoid these errors. Not Warmed Up Be sure that you do a thorough warmup before you attempt this pose. Stretching and using cold muscles might contribute to strain or injury. Not Flexible or Strong Enough Even with a suitable warmup, you may not yet have reached the level of flexibility and strength needed for this pose. Continue to practice poses that strengthen your core, shoulders, and arms. Modifications and Variations As with most yoga poses, there are ways to make it more accessible while you are learning it and to deepen the pose once you become proficient. Need a Modification If you can lift the feet off of the floor but can't straighten your legs, try crossing the feet at the ankles in front of you. This is Arm Pressure Pose (Bhujapidasana). It also helps you get the feel for how strongly you need to hug your arms with your legs in both poses. Up for a Challenge Once you have your arms and legs straight, you can begin to work on a slight variation on the pose. Shift your weight back, taking the forward slant out of your torso and bringing it into a more upright position. Your legs will come along for the ride as your toes begin to point toward the ceiling. It takes a lot of core strength here not to tip back and end up sitting on your butt. From Firefly Pose, transition to Crow Pose by bringing your legs behind you with the knees on your upper arms. Then jump back to Chaturanga. This sequence is from the Ashtanga second series. Safety and Precautions Avoid this pose if you have a shoulder, elbow, wrist, or low back injury. It is an advanced pose, so be sure to get proper instruction and advice on what preparatory poses will be useful. Practice it only where it will be safe if you fall out of the pose. Balancing poses are generally not recommended after the first trimester of pregnancy. Try It Out Incorporate this move and similar ones into one of these popular workouts: Yoga arm balances Yoga poses for arm strength Yoga poses for abs Dragonfly (Maksikanagasana) By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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