The 4-Step Method for Nailing a Scorpion Forearm Stand, Courtesy of a Nike Master Trainer

Well+Good Editors

August 1, 2017

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Some of the most fun (and Instagrammable, let's be honest) parts of yoga are inversions. But if you've ever tried sticking one of the upside-down poses and ended up in a crumpled heap on your living room floor, you know they require way more strength than you might think.

Almost as essential as a solid upper body? A gravity-proof sports bra.

To demonstrate both, we took to the streets of New York City with Sky Ting Yoga co-founder and Nike Master Trainer Krissy Jones, who tackled some of the toughest asanas (no easy feat in the NYC heat) to show off the prowess of the Nike Bra Collection.

And no matter how sweaty your workout gets (hello, hot yoga), Nike's lineup of bras have the quick-dry fabric, construction detailing, and just-right support to hold up to every move. To prove it, we had Jones try the bendiest pose we could think of: forearm stand to scorpion, or pincha mayurasana.

The shoulder-opening inversion challenges the strength of your core and upper body, but that's not the only reason Jones includes it in her practice.

"It's fun to do inversions!" she says. "Plus, they're great for getting over your fears of falling or being upside down because it feels so energizing to be upside down. You’ll get a rush of blood to your head, which is great in the morning or mid-day when you’re feeling low-energy."

Ready to give it a go? Scroll down for your step-by-step GIF guide on how to do the pose—plus Jones' review on how the bra handled the inversion.

Step 1: Kick into your forearm stand

Start in a forearm down dog with your elbows no wider than your shoulders. Walk your feet in toward your face, and pick a leg to lift up. Push off your bottom foot and lightly lift up into a forearm stand, bringing your bottom leg up to meet the top leg.

Step 2: Bend your legs for the scorpion pose

Then, slowly bend both knees and reach your toes towards your head for a backbend. Go super slow if you need to, and make sure to keep your core muscles engaged.

Step 3: Straighten your legs up toward the sky

To come out of the pose, slowly lift your legs up so you're back in a straight-legged forearm stand. Going back through the flow (instead of just flopping over) not only gives you a better workout, but also helps you avoid injury.

Step 4: Finish it off with child's pose

One at a time, drop each leg to the mat. Then extend back into a child's pose to stretch out the hip and lower back muscles that were just activated. (And don't forget to give yourself a mental high-five for crushing that pose!)