Is it a flexibility issue or a technique issue?
I’ve seen this pose about 10 times in the past two weeks, and I think the downward facing torso is *usually* a technique issue rather than a flexibility limitation, though the latter can be the cause for sure.
It is TOTALLY OK if your flexibility does not allow you to sit your chest up and I don’t want anyone to feel bad about that. I just want to make sure everyone who finds themself in this downward position has the info they need to figure out if the issue for them is technique or flexibility.
One of my favorite things about teaching silks is going deep into the details, so I wanted to take some extra time to go over this skill since so many people are stuck in the downward position.
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So here’s what’s happening: the torso is forced into a downward-facing position when you:
A) Connect the tail too low on the pole
B) Don’t push into your bottom hand
C) Let your top hand slide down
D) Lack the splits flexibility for an upright position
E) All of the above
If it’s a flexibility issue, these technique tips won’t help. Just keep working those splits! But if you can sit with your shoulders stacked over your hips in a full split, then adjusting your technique can solve the problem.
Be sure to:
A) Connect the tail all the way up by your shoulder
B) Push into your bottom hand to lift your torso up
C) Keep your top hand as high as you can, and possible shift it higher before you rotate your hips toward the ground
I hope this is helpful! You can also check out the full tutorial. I do not normally give free tutorial instruction, however this is one of my freebie aerial silks tutorials and I would LOVE to see people applying these technique tips!
You can access ALL of the more than 200 hours of detailed tutorials, from fundamental technique to original sequences and choreography by Anna Cicone and myself at Aerial Silks Online.
