Think You’re Not Strong Enough for Arm Balances? Think Again
“I’m not strong enough to do that.”
We hear it constantly. Especially when students are staring down a Crow Pose, Flying Pigeon, or the ever elusive Handstand.
But here's the truth no one tells you:
These poses are not about strength. They're about mechanics. And more specifically, about weight shift.
And most students (even the “strong” ones) aren’t shifting forward nearly enough.
Why not strong enough is a lie.
If you can carry groceries, lift a suitcase, or pick up your kids...you’re already strong enough to arm balance!
What’s missing is this:
- You're keeping too much weight in your feet
- You're afraid to lean far enough forward
- You're gripping and bracing instead of tipping and trusting
- And most likely, no one ever taught you to shift far enough to actually fly
You can’t lift off if you're leaning back. It’s not just hard...it’s impossible.
In most arm balances, the pose begins when you shift forward.
Let's take Crow pose for example. Flight happens when:
- Our elbows move slightly past the wrists
- Our gaze goes forward, not down
- Our hips lean toward the hands
- Our toes get light
- And fear kicks in (and that’s your cue you’re probably doing it right!)
Why your yoga teacher never taught you this....
In a typical group class, the teacher is juggling 20+ people. They cue “Crow Pose,” maybe demo it, then walk around and say “...and now lift your feet!” But if you don’t know how to lift the feet or where the feet need to go, you stay stuck.
This is where most students give up. Not because they can’t do it. But because they don’t know what they’re trying to do.
Inside Yogi Flight School, we don’t just tell you to “lift your feet.” We show you how to move your center of gravity forward in a way your body understands.
We break the pose down to its mechanics:
- Where to place your hands
- How far to lean
- What to expect in your body
- How to fall safely (because yes, you will fall)
- And how to build confidence every time you try
This is the stuff most yoga classes skip, and it’s the reason students go from “I can’t” to “Holy sh*t, I’m doing it" in just one class.
Leaning forward in an arm balance is uncomfortable. It asks you to trust something new, let go of control, get close to the ground and still believe you’ll lift. That’s not just a body move. It’s a mindset shift.
Want to see exactly what I’m talking about?
I’ll walk you through the exact shift that makes or breaks your arm balance, and show you what it looks like in real time, so you can try it yourself.
You don’t need more strength. You need to shift forward, farther than feels comfortable, until flight becomes inevitable.
Start there. The rest will follow.
