Lesson 1: Backbird

Back Bird

Bases can warm up legs by doing leg presses testing their strength and balance. 

Flyers can work on holding their shape and leaning weight into the base's feet.

TIP: Flyers we recommend you place the base's feet in a comfortable spot for your back, usually around your gluteus or near the sacrum/ the bones below your low back arch. 

REMEMBER: You can always come out of a pose and adjust to make this feel comfortable for both Base and Flyer. 

As Bases bend deeper, start to raise your arms as a "spot" for your Flyer.  This way if they slip through your feet you can keep their head safe.

Flyers: You will then reach for base's ankles and think about giving them your elbows. 

Bases: Bend your knees deeper and walk hands up to shoulders as you scoop with your heels lifting the Flyer. Your arms will stay straight, supporting your shoulders and you are working on stacking your legs over your hips. 

TIP: If it feels like flyer is falling towards your head, bring your legs away from your head, closer stacking straight out of your hips.

NOTE: You do not have to have straight legs as a base for this pose. By practicing basing you will increase your flexibility over time and this will become easier to support with straightened knees and legs.

Once this is feeling stable, Flyer can play with many variations of legs.  We recommend the base supports the shoulder while transitioning through variations till each pose feels stable.   

TIP: Flyers can be a "self-spotter" by taking arms over their head in case the pose leans too far over their head.  This is not an ideal way to exit as a beginner.  We recommend you exit back to feet the way you entered. 

NOTE: The more you practice coming in and out of the pose, the more stable this will feel.  You will calibrate over time, Bases will gain strength, timing, and flexibility for more advanced poses and Flyers will find their balance, bend, and body awareness to create beautiful poses to connect.