I know this is a bit late in the day.... but does anyone have any tips as to how to work up to doing a crab... Can only get my head up an inch for a second and have made no progress. Just wondering if there was anything I can do that willhelp build up to one day doing it? How did everyone else progress to doing it? Is it something that some people are built able to do, and others not??

What is "the Crab?"

Hi its the Backbend Pose known in Yoga as Crab Pose or Wheel Pose is that the pose you are having troubles with?

You need to talk to your Bodybalance/Flow Teacher they will look at what you are doing and help you. It is a difficult pose, if you cannot do it no problems stay in Bridge Pose (lowest option) there is nothing wrong with that until you can do the pose.

It does to take practice to get there and with the help of your Bodybalance/Flow Teacher they can help you.

Jackie on one of the releases teaches this pose can't remember which one of the ed sessions?

This may not be the best of methods, but if you have access to different sized Swiss Balls you can practice laying back over them (ensuring the ball doesn't roll), progressing to smaller size balls when the back is more conditioned and the arms and legs are used to engaging strongly.  Eventually you should be able to lay back over a smaller ball, then use your arms and legs to push yourself off the ball into the backbend/crab/wheel of fortune pose or whatever it's called.  

Some people call the Crab Pose Tabletop pose.

mmmm in regards to this move...

as a gymnastics coach... i have to say... if you have sufficiently strong hamstrings and lower back, then the only problem is SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY. despite popular belief, this move is NOT about spinal flexibility but about shoulder flexibility... i have one of the LEAST flexible spines ever but can get into (what we call in the gymnastics gym) bridge quite easily.... for our gymnasts we use some pretty brutal methods of stretching shoulders, ones which should never leave gymnastics gyms, coz then everyone would know just what goes on inside them, but you need ALOT of shoulder flexibility to get into this pose :) so work on opening your shoulders and the rest should just come ;)