How many attempts at shoulder-pressing pose should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Two or three brief float attempts of a second or two each, over a cushioned surface, is enough for a session while the thigh clamp is still new. Build toward a three- to five-second hold before chasing more attempts.

How do I make shoulder-pressing pose easier or harder?

To make it easier, practice the deep fold and thigh clamp with your feet still on the floor, without ever shifting your weight back into your hands. To make it harder, extend the float to several breaths or straighten the legs slightly instead of keeping the ankles hooked tight.

What does shoulder-pressing pose train and when should I skip it?

It turns adductor strength into a balance shelf on the arms, building the pressing and clamping strength that leads toward eight-angle and firefly pose. Skip it if your hamstrings cannot yet fold you deep enough to get the shoulders behind the thighs, or if your wrists are not ready to bear full body weight.

Intermediate

Shoulder-Pressing Pose

Shoulder-pressing pose drapes both thighs over the backs of the upper arms, crosses the ankles in front of the hands, and presses the seat up off the floor. The thigh squeeze onto the arms is the secret, turning adductor strength into a shelf you can balance on. It is a foundational step toward eight-angle and firefly.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs, Shoulder
Type: Balance, Strength, Yoga
Browse by muscle: Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Warm the wrists, then stand with feet wider than the hips and fold forward between the legs.
2
Work the shoulders behind the thighs and set the palms flat on the floor behind the heels.
3
Bend the knees, squeeze the thighs onto the backs of the upper arms, and grip the mat.
4
Shift the weight back into the hands and lift the feet, hooking one ankle over the other in front.
5
Press the floor away, straighten toward the elbows, and lift the hips so the whole body floats.
6
Draw the belly in to keep the seat light, hold, then lower the feet and step out.

Tips

Get the shoulders as low behind the thighs as you can before lifting, higher placement makes the balance far harder.
Squeeze the thighs into the arms constantly, the clamp is what holds you up.
Cross the ankles firmly and keep pressing down through the palms, and rehearse over a cushion in case you sit back.

Variations

Common mistakes

The knees drift apart as the thighs try to clamp the arms, loosening the grip right when the feet are about to leave the floor.
As the weight shifts back, the hands slide backward across the mat instead of staying planted, losing the fixed base mid-lift.
The ankles cross loosely in front instead of hooking firmly, letting the feet drift apart once the hips start to float.
Rushing straight into the float without first practicing the seated thigh clamp skips the one skill the whole pose depends on.
The belly releases and the low back arches once the feet are up, instead of drawing in to keep the seat light.

Frequently asked

How many attempts at shoulder-pressing pose should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Two or three brief float attempts of a second or two each, over a cushioned surface, is enough for a session while the thigh clamp is still new. Build toward a three- to five-second hold before chasing more attempts.
How do I make shoulder-pressing pose easier or harder?: To make it easier, practice the deep fold and thigh clamp with your feet still on the floor, without ever shifting your weight back into your hands. To make it harder, extend the float to several breaths or straighten the legs slightly instead of keeping the ankles hooked tight.
What does shoulder-pressing pose train and when should I skip it?: It turns adductor strength into a balance shelf on the arms, building the pressing and clamping strength that leads toward eight-angle and firefly pose. Skip it if your hamstrings cannot yet fold you deep enough to get the shoulders behind the thighs, or if your wrists are not ready to bear full body weight.

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