2. IGNITE YOUR CORE

Core activation is crucial to feel light in your arm balances! 

Hear me clearly though - I said core ACTIVATION, not core STRENGTH!

Contrary to what your yoga teacher may have told you, most people already have enough core strength to arm balance.

What’s missing is ACTIVATING the core in the exact way that you need to use it in each arm balance. 
 

Your core is the center of your body. It controls the movement of everything from your shoulders to your upper thighs. For arm balances and inversions we want to get the entire core turned on so that it can help you get into your poses. 

Not every core exercise is relevant! Doing a hundred sit ups before doing a handstand will warm up your core, but it's not specific and direct! Instead, we want to look at the pose you're trying to make and see how you can warm up your core in shapes that mimic the pose. 

So, ask yourself “what am I doing in this pose, and how can I heat up my core in a way that's going to support me in this pose?”

Start to think critically. This is what makes it fun. This is what makes it your own. There is no single best core warmup for any particular pose. It's whatever you want to put in that makes logical sense!

Check out my video about core activation for arm balances and inversions:

Want to demystify one of the most common cues yoga teachers give for the core? Check this out: 

Want to fire up that core (as well as your shoulders!) for your crow pose? This video is for you!