At today’s arm balance workshop I finally held a forearm stand for a few seconds. Everything seems possible again. I’ve attempted kicking up into a forearm stand, with an upper arm strap, holding a block in front of the wall, many times over the past year in classes at Mission Cliffs. But each time it felt clumsy, not in control, and I either knocked/bounced off the wall, or never reached a state of balance, legs falling right back down. This time was different. From the very first time I tried kicking up, it felt like I was closer than ever before. My arms, shoulders, and back felt like they were working together. Like something had finally clicked. I first popped-up with a strap holding my upper arms and two blocks between my fore-arms flat on the ground, hands pressed into the mat. I came back down, removed one block, moved the other up between my thumbs and forefingers, kicked up, both legs vertical without touching the wall just in front of me. Briefly surprised by a new sense of balance, I took a breath, conciously firmed my core, counted, and kept breathing. One. [Exhale]. Two. [Inhale]. Three. [Exhale]. Feeling my legs wobble more than a few inches, but still not having touched the wall, I lowered them back down under control. It felt like I had just gained and exercised a new ability, that I had crossed over into a new world of possibilities.

At today’s arm balance workshop I finally held a forearm stand for a few seconds. Everything seems possible again.

I’ve attempted kicking up into a forearm stand, with an upper arm strap, holding a block in front of the wall, many times over the past year in classes at Mission Cliffs. But each time it felt clumsy, not in control, and I either knocked/bounced off the wall, or never reached a state of balance, legs falling right back down.

This time was different. From the very first time I tried kicking up, it felt like I was closer than ever before. My arms, shoulders, and back felt like they were working together. Like something had finally clicked.

I first popped-up with a strap holding my upper arms and two blocks between my fore-arms flat on the ground, hands pressed into the mat. I came back down, removed one block, moved the other up between my thumbs and forefingers, kicked up, both legs vertical without touching the wall just in front of me.

Briefly surprised by a new sense of balance, I took a breath, conciously firmed my core, counted, and kept breathing.

One. [Exhale]. Two. [Inhale]. Three. [Exhale].

Feeling my legs wobble more than a few inches, but still not having touched the wall, I lowered them back down under control.

It felt like I had just gained and exercised a new ability, that I had crossed over into a new world of possibilities.