Unlock Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana): Your Guide to Getting Upside Down
Oh Pincha, HOW I LOVE YOU! Forearm Stand, or Pincha Mayurasana, is one of yoga’s most empowering inversions—demanding focus, strength, and surrender all at once. It’s a truly magical dance between worlds, the grounding of the earth beneath us and the freedom of the sky above. Forearm stand allows us to fly into the unknown, letting go of what is for a few breaths and becoming in-tune with trust. Whether you're brand new to inversions or already flirting with the idea of being upside-down, Pincha is a beautiful pose that helps build shoulder strength, core control, and mental clarity. In this post, I’ll break down what you need to know to begin building your forearm stand safely and confidently.
Pincha Mayurasana holds a VERY special place in my heart, because it is the first yoga inversion I ever learned! That’s right, even before crow pose! Pincha was the pose that drew me into yoga, I marveled at it and achieving forearm balance became my physical goal. Something about the grace of being able to balance effortlessly drew me in. To this day Pincha is still one of my favorite poses.
If you’re ready to start practicing your Pincha NOW, join my Forearm Stand Program HERE or my Online Yoga Studio HERE, which includes the full Pincha program, all other programs AND over 100 hours of yoga classes, many of which include different Pincha progressions + entries!
What Is Forearm Stand?
Pincha Mayurasana: Strength Meets Surrender
Forearm Stand, or Pincha Mayurasana in Sanskrit, translates to “Feathered Peacock Pose”—a name that reflects both grace and power. Suspended in flight. Pincha requires you to balance on your forearms, offering a deep challenge to your shoulders, core, and back body.
But it’s more than just a flashy pose and sometimes can feel a bit tricky in the beginning. When our arms are bent at 90 degrees unlike handstand, bailing out safely can feel a little bit like being yoga jail haha. Tricky doesn’t mean impossible, pincha takes patience and persistence.
Forearm Stand strengthens:
Shoulders + arms – for stability and control
Core – for balance and alignment
Back + glutes – for support and lift
Fingers - for control upside-down
Your mind - tenacity, resilience, trust
Practicing this pose builds physical strength, mental resilience, and inner confidence. It teaches you to meet challenge with breath, and to rise again (and again) when you fall. Whether you’re here to defy gravity or just deepen your personal practice, learning forearm stand is an empowering and rewarding journey. I’m so glad I stayed consistent because the feeling of floating is magical.
2. Why Forearm Stand Is So Challenging (and Why That’s a Good Thing)
Let’s be honest—Pincha isn’t easy…but good things never are! It demands strength, flexibility, patience, and a willingness to face fear. You’re working against gravity, tuning into your body’s micro-adjustments, and surrendering control all at once. That’s a big ask.
But here’s the magic: Every moment of effort in this pose builds something deeper. You start noticing the power of your breath. You realize fear can be met with awareness. You discover how DANG strong you already are. When we begin something new, especially something physical, our brain needs to create safety and awareness of the skill. The first few times you attempt forearm stand or some of the drills it may feel impossible. This could also be because your brain is creating a new pathway and learning to adapt. If you allow yourself to be a beginner, let it be hard and be willing to suck at it in the beginning, you’ll move forward into a new reality. One where your body not only adapts but grows stronger, more flexible and resilient. It all starts in your mind, TRULY. Mental resilience is a wonderful side effect of pincha.
Forearm stand also encourages our spirit to play. We flip our world upside-down quite literally, and you know who loves this? OUR INNER CHILD! The practice of play is presence in action, if you struggle with being present or focused, pincha mayurasana can train your focus and help you live more in the present moment. Focus doesn’t always have to be attained by sitting on a mountain top in silence (although thats great too) but you have to find what works for you. If your brain is always on the go - inversions might be the secret to slowing down.
You don’t need to be advanced to start this pose—you just need to start. The beauty of forearm stand is that it meets you where you are, and teaches you through every phase.
3. Top 3 Things to Focus on Before You Invert
Inside my program, we go into poses like these with in-depth with daily drills, guided videos, and mindset coaching!
This is the foundation of your entire Pincha practice. Start here before kicking up—these foundational tips make all the difference.
1. Shoulder & Core Stability
Physical foundation is important. So we start by building strength. Some great poses to focus on for getting stronger are:
Dolphin holds
Forearm planks
Hollow body core work
Remember this! Strength = safety = success.
2. Mindset Around Fear of Falling
Falling is part of the process. The nervous system naturally panics when it’s learning to be upside down—but the breath is your anchor. Learning to trust your body is just as important as building strength. Having your hips above your head is a wild feeling, and it’s one we approach with gentleness + dedication! The more you experience this feeling, the less spooky it will feel. With anything practice creates safety.
I like to tell all of my students, in the beginning we fall more than we fly; tapping into our inner beginner and inner playful child is key to enjoy this process! Remember when you were a kid and would roll around in the grass, fearlessly jump into puddles and not worry if you took a quick spill, just get right back up and keep moving? That’s how I encourage you to look at falling, it’s going to happen, but with each tumble you’ve learned something new, calibrated balance and will be better next time. Learn to fall SAFELY and then enjoy the ride.
3. Consistency Over Perfection
Spoiler: You won’t “nail” this pose in a day. Or maybe even a month. But if you show up for it with curiosity and intention, you will progress.
Celebrate the journey, not just the balance. Take videos and photos of your progress to remind yourself where you started. Sometimes progress is so tiny each day and because of this we forget that it’s happening at all. BUT IT IS. Every single time you show up to your mat, practice your drills and work on your mindset you are planting seeds for success. Consistency will beat natural talent any day; make a pact to show up for yourself and you will succeed!
I like to create a calendar for myself (you can find a calendar in my pincha program HERE) this way I hold myself accountable for the goals I’m working toward. Commit to a practice schedule that is manageable for you, something you can stick to and watch the magic unfold.
🙌 Want the full roadmap with daily drills and mindset support? Explore the Forearm Stand Program and let’s rise together.
4. Common Mistakes I See as a Yoga Instructor
Over the years, I’ve seen so many students work toward Pincha with amazing dedication—but a few common mistakes tend to sneak in and slow progress. If you’re struggling to kick up or hold the pose, see if any of these feel familiar:
❌ Collapsing in the Shoulders
Instead of actively pressing down and lifting up through the shoulders, many students let their chest sink, which puts pressure on the neck and destabilizes the whole pose. Think: press and lift rather than collapse and hang.
❌ Rushing to Kick Up
It’s tempting to throw yourself up and hope you stick the landing—but that often leads to flailing or fear-based falling. This can also lead to what we call “banana back” using a lot of momentum and bending deep in the low back to catch ourselves. Banana back is an overcorrection for lack of core engagement. Rushing to kick up with bad habits can sometimes cause injury, and we want to avoid that at all cost! Instead, work on building strength, control and positioning, even if it means taking it slower. When we slow down and build smart, we actually speed up the process. Slow and steady wins the race!!!
❌ Holding Your Breath
Your breath is your best friend in inversions. Many students hold their breath when they’re upside down, which creates tension and imbalance. This is normal because our body naturally holds breath in new or unknown instances. However we want to override this and tap into our breath, Practice breathing through the discomfort, even if you’re only up for a second.
I like to make sure I hear and feel my breath before my feet leave the ground. I say a little thank you in my mind to my body and then go. Once I am up and stable, I call my breath back in. Creating a ritual of remembering to breathe each step of the process.
5. Want to Go Deeper? My Forearm Stand Program Might Be Exactly What You Need
You don’t have to figure this all out alone. My Forearm Stand Program was created to support you through every phase of your inversion journey—from building strength and alignment to managing fear and building confidence upside down.
✨ What You’ll Get:
Step-by-step drills designed for real bodies and real life
Short video tutorial with alignment tips + common challenges
Pincha focused vinyasa flow so you can put all of the strength you build with drills into action
Downloadable calendar to keep you on track
Supportive teacher I am always here for you, if you have any questions I’m one click away to help you!
If you're ready to stop guessing and start progressing, this is for you. Check it out HERE.
Your Inversion Journey Starts Now!
Forearm stand isn’t just a yoga pose. It’s a mirror for how you show up to challenge, growth, and grace. Whether you're brand new to inversions or you’ve been dabbling for years, there’s always more to explore. You’re more capable than you think. And you don’t have to do it alone ✨
If you're ready to build strength, trust, and a consistent Pincha practice, I’d love to support you.
Click here to join the Forearm Stand Program today →
Let’s rise together. 🙏
xx Jess
Take flight in your forearm stand! Program designed with all of the tools you need to fly; practice the program on its own or as an addition to your regular practice/fitness routine.
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