This simple hack will help you *finally* master crow pose

Figuring out how to do crow pose without falling on your face is challenging for both beginner and advanced yogis alike. Even instructors like Melissa Eckman find it scary and intimidating at first. She does, however, have a pretty brilliant hack for getting the hang of it, which she recently shared with her 334K Instagram followers: Rest your forehead on a yoga block.

The reason? Like most things in fitness, mastering the pose requires good form, which can be hard to concentrate on initially. “A few top mistakes I see are the elbows splaying out causing most of your bodyweight to go into your wrists,” says Eckman. “It’s so important that there’s a balance between holding your legs up by engaging your core and using your arms to hold them up.”

Using a block will ease your fear of flying in full crow allowing you to focus on proper alignment.

Using a block will ease your fear of flying in full crow allowing you to focus on proper alignment. “If you’re just dumping all of your weight into your arms, you’ll never advance in this pose and could seriously hurt yourself,” cautions Eckman, who shares her step-by-step guide to the modified version below.

How to do crow pose using a yoga block

“Crow pose is intimidating or scary to some people because it’s essentially a trust fall with yourself, ” Eckman explains. “You’re depending on balance and strength to keep yourself from falling on your face as you lean forward.”

By resting your forehead on a yoga block, you can eliminate some of the fear factor. To practice this pose, you’ll need a yoga block, mat, and room to move.

1. Place the block on the highest setting about five inches in front of your fingertips in the center of your mat.

2. Make sure your wrists are in line with your elbows, and bring both knees onto your triceps. Begin to lean forward until you feel your head hit the block.(“This will help you get over your fear of the face plant and be a safety net for you,” Eckman says.)

3. Then, practice your balance by lifting on foot and then the other off the ground.

Besides feeling awesome for nailing one of the most intimidating yoga poses out there, crow offers a host of other benefits including working your arms, shoulders, and core while stretching out your hips and quads. Plus, “[it’s] empowering, fun, and great for advancing in your practice,” Eckman says. And by using her hack, you’ll be flying high in no time.

Yoga’s benefits seem to have no limits, just ask Jessica Biel—it’s her favorite workout, btw. And find out how to use another popular yoga prop: the yoga wheel.