Heads up! You can now pre-order our brand new Namaslay® On Repeat crew - it’s so slouchy and cozy, and perfect for cool summer nights ahead.
This week I taught a fun vinyasa class leading up to forearm stand, and I wanted to give you a few tips if this is a pose you’re working on in your practice.
Forearm stand, or Pincha Mayurasana, requires a good amount of core strength, so warming up with hollow body holds or a yoga block workout can connect you with the power of all four parts of your core.
Lifting off the ground calls on your glutes to do some work. Grab a resistance band and train your glutes to help you lift your lower body up and stay there.
Forearm stand requires strong and mobile shoulders. Spend some time strengthening your upper body with scapular pushups, down dog and divebomber pushups, and balancing with mobility stretches like these. Spend some time in dolphin pose and 3 - legged dolphin to feel into the transition of shifting your weight into your forearms.
Watch your forearm placement. From seated on your shins, grab your biceps and place your forearms on the mat in preparation. Maintain this distance between the elbows as you open the arms or clasp the hands. I like to keep my elbows in place and open my arms a little wider before clasping my hands in the center. It helps pull the skin of the forearms taut and just feels a little more secure.
Reeeaaach up through your toes. You want to feel an upward sensation through the legs, so engage them by spreading the toes. Imagine every part of your body is recruited to give you as much length and lift as possible.
I’ve really enjoyed connecting with students around the world in the online classes from Namaslay® Studios. Check our schedule and sign up to join us soon! If these times don’t work for us to practice together, you can rent or purchase the recorded classes , or take my forearm stand class below!