Continuing Forearm Stands

Who this workshop recording is for:

This workshop is meant for intermediate-level students who are already comfortable kicking up to a forearm stand at a wall. This class focuses on learning to control our kick ups to balance, and balancing in backbendier variations of our forearm stands.

Suggested Prerequisites:

Able to consistently kick up to the wall in a forearm stand (not headstand). Crazy backbendiness welcome, but not required - the backbend-y variations included in the tutorials can be modified for varying degrees of back flexibility.

If you don’t feel confident in your kick-ups to the wall (or have never practiced those before), I suggest you start with the Beginning Forearm Stands workshop recording instead.

This 75-minute* workshop covers:

• An hour long follow-along contortion conditioning class, including

  • A full body warm up with extra emphasis on back and shoulder mobility (especially external shoulder rotation)

  • Active flexibility drills to strengthen and stretch shoulders to prepare for supporting our bodyweight, and prepare back for comfortable (and safe) backbend inversions

• “Choose your own adventure” style skillwork practice: more than 20 minutes of detailed forearm stand variation tutorials are included and you can choose which ones to practice during any given training session. Tutorials include…

  • How to kick into a balance

  • Double stag forearm stands

  • Hollow back holds

  • Headsit aka “snake” forearm stands

* This workshop was filmed with the intention of fitting a 75-minute practice, but students may choose to trim it down, or extend it and work on more skillwork for up to a 90 minute practice.

Required props:

• 2 yoga blocks

• Long strap (can be elastic or stiff)

• A sturdy chair or low table (something you can lean on for balance)

• Plenty of wall space!

Upon checkout, you will receive a PDF with a link to the workshop recording (Squarespace limits file upload sizes so I can’t actually upload the whole recording here). The recording is for your personal use only, not to be shared with others - thank you!