I am a world-renowned flexibility/contortion coach and former pro contortionist. Full-time coach for 10+ years. Check out my website for more info!
From SF 🇺🇸 Based in Munich 🇩🇪
I offer 1-1 online coaching, in-person workshops in Europe, and more.
15/07/2026
Is it contortion? Is it yoga? Does it matter?? YES, swipe through the slides to see WHY is included on all my posts.
(I’ve been getting a lot of messages lately from people asking if I teach yoga online, so I’m bringing back this oldie but goodie!)
And you can read the full article through the link in my bio 🥰
Stay Shrimpy, friends 🦐
Find the info useful? Share it! 💌
Have questions? Ask in the comments 👇
It’s not all flashy…
(It’s important to note that this is what SHE needed to properly prepare her body to get the most out of our sessions. Not *everyone* needs all of these types of exercises.)
When I start teaching students, I don’t start with all the extras.
I start with fairly straightforward strength and flexibility exercises. But if I notice that there is nerve tension or that specific muscles are holding really tight and just don’t want to release, I introduce these different ways of getting the body to calm down and make the muscles more cooperative so that students can get the most out of their training.
That’s my teaching style, and it WORKS ✔️
Leslie had already made a ton of progress over the last couple of years, but was now feeling like she couldn’t really get deeper in some poses (for example, Cobra).
So during our first session, we did some troubleshooting, and landed on this new warm-up routine 💯
And in just 3 days she felt WAY more freedom in her Cobras and overall backbends 🎉
These videos were taken last year (before I cut all my hair off 😆), and Leslie is coming back in an October for her next 3-Day Intensive! She’s made SO much progress since these videos were taken, and I can’t wait to share it with you 🥰
If you like the sound of my training style, comment PFT and little robot Catie will send you details for the Personalized Flexibility Training (my online training program).
This training is a pre-requisite to work with me in person, and what Leslie uses to train with at home!
Stay Shrimpy, friends 🦐
29/05/2026
12 years of student progress…
It feels like just yesterday that I just started teaching contortion and flexibility classes at Circus Center in San Francisco. But at the same time, we’ve lived in an entire life (literally, Sammy’s entire life 🤣).
At this point, I’ve personally worked with thousands of students, which is so cool and also insane 😆
These photos are just a small glimpse of the progress made by students over the last 12 years 🦐 (and I also realized that I prioritized older before/afters when I was compiling the photos 😅)
So if YOU want to work with me, now is the perfect time, because The Catie Brier Method: Backbending starts in just one week!
I’ve taken everything I’ve learned over the last 12 years of coaching and put it into this four week ONLINE course, that is *genuinely* beneficial for all levels.
Comment TCBM and little robot Catie will send you the details 🤖
Stay shrimpy, friends 🦐
Intentions are a HUGE part of safe flexibility training…
When doing backbends you are, of course, bending your back. And muscle activation on the back side of your body is CRUCIAL.
But if you’re *only* thinking of the back side of your body, and “arching” or “bending” your back, you’re limiting yourself.
Focusing on the front of your body is an extremely beneficial way to approach backbending 👍
You want to create length and “space” in your body so that you’re not crunching/forcing the bend.
✔️ Opening the chest and ribs
✔️ Reaching the shoulders up
✔️ Reaching or pushing away through the legs
Are all good cues to start implementing into your training 💯
Stay Shrimpy, friends 🦐
And if you find this info helpful, but don’t know what actual exercises to do and how to set the right intentions to see lasting progress, you’re in luck! The upcoming 4-week ONLINE backbending course (The Catie Brier Method: Backbending) starts in just 2 weeks 🤩
Comment TCBM and little robot Catie will send you the details 🤖
Low back pain is a sign that something is not working properly 🚨
It does NOT mean that you need to spend more time trying to “stretch” your low back.
Most commonly low back pain comes from lack of strength; glutes, low abs, upper back, you name it!
There are a lot of muscles that need to work together to make backbending safe and effective. Just trying to bend your back with no intention or clear focus ain’t gonna cut it ❌
And this is exactly what The Catie Brier Method: Backbending (my upcoming 4-week ONLINE course), is made for! To teach you *exactly* how to use your muscles for safer, happier backbending. Full details and sign up in bio 🤍
(Before you ask, the course is all-levels! So don’t worry if you can’t do the tricks in the videos. Those are the *outcome* of foundational back flexibility training, not the starting point.)
Stay Shrimpy, friends 🦐
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Have questions? Drop ‘em in the comments! 👇
01/05/2026
Back in the day…
This week I learned that there are lot of you who don’t know anything about my background, so I wanted to use that as an opportunity to talk about me!
Before becoming a contortion coach, I was a dancer, acrobat, and professional contortionist 🦐
Early in my contortion career, my back was injured by a coach (long story), which cut my career short.
But this injury put me on my current path! And I’ve spent the last 12 years learning and developing techniques to teach extreme flexibility in safe, sustainable ways 💯
My goal from the beginning of my teaching career was to figure out new, more effective methods of training contortion.
I didn’t want to force anyone’s body to do something it didn’t want to do. I wanted to learn how to help people get there safely and without pain.
And this is exactly what The Catie Brier Method: Backbending is all about! This upcoming 4-week course will give you the safest and most effective techniques for training back flexibility, plus SO 👏 MUCH 👏 INFORMATION 👏
I LOVE explaining the how’s and why’s of everything I teach, so you’re not just hoping for the best with no understanding of *why* you’re doing things.
Comment TCBM and robot Catie with send you the detail for the course!
Stay Shrimpy, friends 🦐