You can learn how to do a forearm stand, feathered peacock pose, pincha mayurasana, in 3 easy steps.
To watch the Youtube video of how to do this exercise, please click this link.
Benefits:
- Strengthen your shoulders
- Stabilize your rotator cuff muscles
- Activate your core muscles
- Increase the flow of your lymph
- Calm your brain
- Improve your balance
- Build your self confidence
- Lengthen your spine
- Lower your blood pressure
- Increase your circulation
- Regenerate your chi
Step 1. Dolphin Pose
Dolphin Pose
How to do dolphin pose:
- Start on your hands and knees
- Place your elbows on the ground
- Wrap your fingers around your biceps to measure the correct distance
- Then bring your forearms in front and interlace your fingers
- Bring your feet shoulder width apart
- Tuck your toes under
- Inhale and lift your hips towards the ceiling
- Pull your belly to your spine
- Press your forearms into the floor and extend your spine
- Pull your inner groins back
- Lengthen your heels towards the ground
- Breathe!
Step 2. Kick Up
Kick Up
How to kick up:
- Keep your shoulders lifted
- Push the floor away from you
- Bend one knee
- Inhale and exhale, relaxing and energizing your body
- Take a deep breath in
- Exhale and kick up with your straight leg onto a wall
Step 3. Forearm Stand
Forearm Stand
How to do forearm stand:
- Press your forearms strongly into the ground
- Push the floor away from you
- Pull your belly button to your spine
- Engage your buttock muscles
- Flex your feet and reach towards the ceiling
- Your head and neck will dangle off the ground
- Breathe, relax and calm your mind
- After 5 breaths to 60 seconds, lower one leg and then the other and rest on the ground
To see how I put all three steps together in one easy sequence, please watch the Youtube video at this link.
Variations:
- Instead of clasping your hands and interlacing your fingers, bring your forearms straight out in front of you
- When I’m practicing at home, I usually alternate between clasped hands and straight forearms
- As you get stronger, pull one foot and then the other to balance away from the wall
Variation of arm position for dolphin and forearm stand
At the moment, forearm stand is my favorite inversion.
I love forearm stand because it allows me to get the benefits of inversions without adding pressure to the vertebrae of my neck.
If you would like to learn more about forearm stand and other inversions safely and easily, set up an appointment by emailing me at catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com or calling 678-612-8816.
You can join our regular yoga classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7:30 to 9 p.m. and Thursday mornings from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Drive at the corner of Mt. Paran. For directions to the church, please visit this map on my website.