Let’s talk about forearm balance, that yoga pose you see all over social media, the one where you balance on your forearms, upside down, and look like a yoga goddess…..

…..yes, I’m talking about that one.

Today we are going to flirt with this pose, pincha mayurasana, and work towards getting upside down in it. Now, if you’re someone who doesn’t do the upside down thing, don’t worry, there’s still plenty for you to experience when you step on the mat with me.

Now, I need to forewarn you.

This is an advanced yoga posture that requires upper body + core strength, familiarity with balance, dedication to practicing it over and over again, and most importantly – patience. Patience because forearm balance usually takes time to cultivate, it’s not a get on your mat, practice yoga for 30 days, and poof, you’re upside down like a goddess.

….. although, this can happen, but that definitely didn’t happen for me.

Instead, it’s a posture that’s attainable when you simply decide to go for it, which is the same for anything in your life too, right.

Related: 10 Poses to Prep for Pincha Mayurasana

Personally, forearm balance “came to me” two years into a consistent yoga practice and with a lottttt of effort. Effort like pulling my mat to the wall during class and kicking up under the watchful eyes of my teacher and countless hours of practicing at home, with hundreds of failed attempts in-between.

Kick. Fall. Kick. Fall. Kick. Fall.

And like most things in life that you work towards with dedication + patience, it suddenly stuck. My body stacked into place, ankles over knees, knees over hips, hips over shoulders, gaze forward.

Just like that, I was able to float upside down in forearm balance, and it was pure magic. And today, I want you to experience and work towards that magic too.

So, how do we plan to do it?

We’ll begin our practice with a moment in stillness, visualizing our inherent strength and calling upon it as we move through today’s yoga class. From here, we’ll focus on creating greater range of motion in the shoulders and upper back, two key areas involved in forearm balance. Then, we’ll journey through a strong standing series that invites balance into the present moment, and finally – we will end at pincha mayurasana.

Together, we’ll flirt with kicking up, using props, surrendering to falls and fails, and just maybe – flying high upside down.

Now, one final thing.

I highly recommend using a strap and having it ready for today’s yoga practice. We will use it in the beginning to open up our chest + shoulders and again when we journey towards getting upside down in forearm balance.

Need a strap? Click here to invest in one today.

And hey, a strap will come in handy ten times over during your yoga journey, it’s an incredible prop to have in your yoga prop basket.

Related: Yoga Tutorial: How to Use a Strap

Now, let’s step on our yoga mats, believe in our strength, and begin the journey to getting upside down!

I’ll meet you there, xoxo.