This pose is a great introduction to arm balances. It teaches us hand placement, shoulder stability, point of focus (drishti) and how to slowly shift our centre of gravity to lean (not jump!) into the pose.
Coming from a squatting position (1), start by placing the hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, fingers spreading wide (2). Keep in mind that your hands will become your feet, your contact with the floor, so you want them active! Fingertips, base of the index fingers and palms rooted down.
Then walk your feet behind your hands, and find where along the upper arm to place your knees. The higher the better, but it takes more flexibility. If you have long legs, it might even be better to place the knees outside of the arms and squeeze them towards the centre. It’s different for everybody, and it’ll take a bit of trial and error, so don’t get discouraged! (3)
Once your knees are in place, look forward and slowly shift your bodyweight to your hands. Stay at this step as long as necessary until you feel comfortable having weight in your hands.
Squeeze your elbows towards the midline, and round your spine, try to make yourself into a little ball as much as you can. Then try to lift up one leg (4). If you feel comfortable here, slowly shift your weight even more forward until the other foot leaves the floor (5). Et voilà !
Use your fingertips to stabilize and keep lifting your bum up towards the sky. Make sure that your gaze is forward, and that you are breathing the whole time! (6)
More importantly…
Keep a playful attitude! And as soon as you’re getting impatient or frustrated, take a break. It might take many tries, but with every attempt, you’re getting stronger, building focus, and learning a fun new skill!
Any questions or tips to share, let me know in the comments 🙏
