Yes, Dua Lipa Just Nailed a Tricky Yoga Transition In Heels. Here's How You Can Do It, Too

She’s the winner of three Grammy awards. The singer of four Billboard Top 10 hits. And, we recently learned, a (very dedicated) yogi.

Her appreciation for yoga isn’t a secret. In her newsletter, Service95, Lipa recently spoke about her favorite grounding yoga poses, which include One-Legged King Pigeon Pose and Happy Baby Pose. She even has a personal yoga teacher, Anabella Landa, who tours with her. (Dream job alert.)

How to practice the same yoga transition as Dua Lipa

Sure, you may not have a hit remix with Elton John or a weekly newsletter that reaches thousands and thousands of adoring fans, but you can work as hard as Lipa has toward nailing the transition from Crow Pose to a tripod version of Headstand. (Um, as long as Headstand is a part of your regular practice and you have no cervical spine issues.) As you practice it, you’ll want to keep these teacher-recommended tips in mind.

First, understand that heels aren’t that crazy

OK, so maybe you aren’t confident enough to try this transition in super high heels. However, the idea of keeping your heels lifted, as they are when you’re wearing four-inch heels, can be a helpful visualization as you find your way into Crow Pose. “[She’s] getting high up on her tiptoes, like you would if you didn’t have the heels there, or as if you were standing on a block,” says Jenny Clise, a San Francisco-based yoga teacher and author of BLOCKASANAS.

Find stability in Crow Pose

Focus on proper form in Crow Pose. This helps you create a stable foundation. “Make sure that your knees are drawn high into your armpits, big toes touching,” says Soozie Kinstler, a Denver-based yoga teacher who often weaves unexpected transitions into her yoga classes. If you can’t get your knees to your armpits, work them as high on your upper arms as possible. Also, draw your heels toward your seat—more so than Lipa does. (We still love you, Dua!)

Create lightness in your body

Kinstler suggests hugging your tummy toward your spine to create a sense of  lightness in your lower body. This makes maintaining the poses easier.

Keep yourself steady

If you’re new to the Dua Lipa transition, take it slowly, cautions Clise. As you’re shifting forward, the majority of your weight is on your upper arms. If you don’t have enough strength to go slowly, you’re going to increase your velocity as you transition your head to the mat—and that’s the last thing you want. (We cringed a little at the speed with which Lipa lowered her head to the mat.) You want to land gently so you don’t put too much pressure on your head and neck.

If you’re still working on your upper body strength, Clise suggests letting your knees slide a little closer toward your elbows before you transition your head to the mat. This allows your femur bones to stack over your forearms and your hips to come lower which will help you find little more counterbalance and control.  This, in turn, helps you lean into the pose rather than lurch forward as you bring your head to the mat.

Place your head on the ground carefully

Feeling leery about bringing your head to the ground? Kinstler suggests you place a block on the lowest position, four to five inches in front of you. This effectively brings the ground a little closer to you.

Whether you use a block or not, keep your gaze slightly forward as you shift forward from Crow. Focus on exactly where you want to place your head, and start to tuck your chin slightly, Kinstler says. She also recommends lifting your shoulders away from your ears. This may seem counterintuitive, but it will help you come to a soft landing. By keeping your shoulders down, you also ensure you’re not dumping your weight into your head and neck, says Clise.

Move into Headstand

Finally, you’re ready to move into Headstand. “As you exhale, your elbows are going to bend, and your shoulders will start to move forward, elbows hugging your midline, just like in a low push-up,” says Kinstler. Make sure to draw everything in toward your center—your elbows, your knees, and your focus.

If you lowered your knees toward your elbows earlier, lift your hips before you transition. Bring your shins to your elbows to create more of a right angle in tripod. Once your head makes contact, lift your hips.

Practice the reverse of Dua Lipa’s yoga transition

To build the strength needed for this transition, Clise recommends first trying the reverse transition—moving from Headstand to Crow Pose.  To do this, you need to slow down and resist gravity, which actually makes this transition even harder than Lipa’s approach. But by working through the more challenging transition first, Clise says you’ll build the strength necessary to move slowly—and safely—in the other direction.

Not ready yet? Build up to Dua Lipa’s approach

If you feel that you need more strength or confidence to try the full transition, honor that. In the meantime, there are other poses that help you get stronger.  Clise says both Crow Pose and Headstand require strength in your hip flexors, wrists, and shoulders. She recommends practicing poses that focus on shoulder protraction, such as Cat Pose with knees hovering a few inches above the mat.

For your hip flexors and core strength, she recommends any pose in which you effectively practice a crunch. This includes Knee-to-Nose in Tabletop or Downward-Facing Dog Pose.  You can also try Crow crunches on your back, with your knees drawn toward your upper arms and your arms extended straight up from your shoulders. Any exercise that helps draw your knees in close to your chest will help you when lifting into Headstand. Over time, you’ll build up to it.