Yoga Poses to Prepare for Forearm Stand

October 16, 2019

Last updated : April 24, 2023

The Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) is a truly beautiful and impressive asana to add to your yoga practice. It is also very beneficial for the body and mind as inversions increase brain function and memory. Improve balance, make you feel more grounded, stimulate bodily systems such as the endocrine system and strengthen your arms and shoulders. However, you may be wondering where to start.

So, what are some of the keys to a stable Forearm Stand? Well, it is about letting go of fear and gaining awareness and control of your body.

Read on to learn how to prepare the mind and body for Forearm Stand. The following yoga poses will help you gain body awareness and control to achieve stability in this challenging pose and get over the fear that sometimes comes with practising arm balances!

Here are 4 Yoga Poses to Prepare You for Forearm Stand:

1. Forearm Plank

Forearm Plank is an excellent pose to strengthen your arms, shoulders and core. Adding Forearm Plank to your regular yoga practice will help you gain the strength needed to hold a Forearm Stand.

Let’s try it:

  • From a Table Top position, place your forearms on the mat with your fingers pointing forward
  • Straighten your legs to come in Plank Pose on your forearms
  • Direct your gaze down between your forearms
  • Hold and breathe steadily for 30 seconds to 1 minute
  • Release to Child’s Pose for a few breaths then repeat

Alignment tips:

  • Keep your shoulders stacked above your elbows
  • Push your shoulders away from your ears, and don’t allow your chest to drop toward the ground.
  • Focus on engaging your core – don’t allow your belly or hips to drop toward the ground

2. Dolphin Pose

Dolphin Pose is an excellent yoga pose to feel the weight shifting to your forearms and hands. If you consistently practice Dolphin Pose, you will strengthen your core muscles and create muscle memory to prepare yourself to balance this way upside down.

Let’s try it:

  • Begin in a Forearm Plank position
  • Slowly walk the feet closer towards your elbows and allow your hips to lift
  • Keep your shoulders stacked above your elbows
  • Release your head and neck, and gaze toward your feet
  • Shift your weight slightly from your feet to your forearms and hands

Alignment tips:

  • Spread your fingers wide and press your fingertips into the mat
  • If you have tight shoulders, interlace your fingertips for more comfort and stability
  • Continue to push your forearms into the mat and press your shoulders away from your ears
  • If your hamstrings are tight, keep a slight bend in the knees

3. One-Legged Dolphin Pose

One-legged Dolphin Pose increases your body awareness and teaches you how to depend more on your upper body and forearms for balance. Lifting one leg adds more weight to the shoulders and arms and gives you an idea of how it will feel in a full Forearm Stand.

Let’s try it:

  • From Dolphin Pose, lift your right leg straight up to the ceiling without opening the hip
  • Continue to press your forearms and hands firmly into the mat
  • Keep your core engaged so your leg remains lifted with control, and you’re not arching into your lower back
  • Hold for at least 30 seconds, and then change sides

Alignment tips:

  • Come as high as possible onto the toes of your standing foot to bring more weight into the shoulders
  • Be sure your shoulders stay strong with the added weight. Continue to press your shoulders away from your ears

4. One-Legged Forearm Stand

When you feel strong practicing the Forearm Plank and the Dolphin Pose variations, it’s time to shift your weight completely to your forearms and hands. This variation allows you to stack your hips over your shoulders and become more comfortable with the weight shift and balance.

Let’s try it:

  • From a one-legged Dolphin Pose, bend your standing leg and gently kick the lifted leg to stack over your hips
  • Keep the lower leg bent
  • Actively engage your core and shoulders to keep your body stable
  • Practice a few times, then switch to the other side

Alignment tips:

  • If you do not immediately find balance, no worries! Keep working to stack your elbows, shoulders, and hips to find the most stability
  • Keep your legs engaged and squeeze your muscles into the midline
  • Continue to press the forearms into the mat and the shoulders away from the ears

Forearm Stand

Ready to give it a go? If and when you can hold the knee-to-chest variation, you are a small step away from coming into the full variation of Forearm Stand.

Let’s try it:

  • Find your steady knee-to-chest variation and then engage the legs and core as you slowly extend the bent leg to meet the straight leg
  • Point or flex your toes to keep them active and keep pressing in your forearms
  • Keep your core engaged for stability and to protect your lower back
  • Hold for a few breaths or as long as you can, and repeat when ready

Alignment tips:

  • Visualize your elbows, shoulders, and hips stacked directly over each other in alignment
  • Firmly press the heel of your hands and your fingertips into the mat to help with balance

Inversions are a worthwhile addition to your yoga practice when you are ready to include them. Be sure to take the proper measures to prepare the mind and body for being upside down. Practicing inversions is never about mastering a pose – instead, it is about the connection to your body and learning from the journey.

This is a re-post from Yogiapproved.com (you can see the original post here: https://www.yogiapproved.com/yoga/prepare-forearm-stand/)

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About the author

Ram Jain

Born into a Jain family where yoga has been the way of life for five generations, my formal yoga journey began at age of eight at a Vedic school in India. There I received a solid foundation in ancient scriptures, including Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Sutras (to name a few).

In 2009, I founded Arhanta Yoga Ashrams. I see yoga as a way to master the five senses, so I named our ashrams 'Arhanta Yoga,' the yoga to master the five senses!

In 2017, I also founded Arhanta Yoga Online Academy so that people who can not visit our ashrams can follow our courses remotely.

At Arhanta, we don't just teach yoga. We teach you how to reach your potential, deepen your knowledge, build your confidence, and take charge of your life.

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