The Trapdoor washing machine is one of the most well-known and beloved movements in acro yoga. Study the poses and transitions first—once you’re confident with those, you can start linking them into a smooth, continuous flow and begin practicing.
The trapdoor is essentially a transition from reverse bird to back bird. It becomes a washing machine when you add two extra movements to bring the flyer back into the starting position—reverse bird—so you can begin the trapdoor again from there.
Since there are several ways to return from back bird to reverse bird, there are many variations of the trapdoor washing machine. You can find these listed at the bottom of the page under the Trapdoor and Variations category.
Daniel Scott and his Trapdoor washing machine
Danzaires Acroyoga Fernando Vizcaíno Carles
Trapdoor by AcroYoga Moves
Yoga House Acro
Danzaires Acroyoga Fernando Vizcaíno Carles
Used poses
Reverse Bird
The flyer’s upper body turns towards the ground, her head is on the opposite side of the base’s head. If we do it without hands, …
Low Foot-2-hand
Low foot-to-hand: The base’s elbow is on the ground, closely next to their body, with the forearm vertical. The flyer keeps their body straight and …
Back bird with upper hand grip
Several transitions require an upper hand grip, which is why it was necessary to include the back bird with an upper hand grip as a …
Used transitions
From Reverse Bird to Back Bird
This is a special transition, it has its own name: Trap door Starting from a reverse bird, the flyer passes one hand between the legs …
From Back Bird to Low Foot2Hand
Flyer goes from a horizontal position to a vertical position, her body is straight all the way, theoretically. In practice, the bird has a backward …
From Low Foot-2-Hand to Reverse Bird
The flyer tilts from vertical to horizontal. Her body is straight throughout. The base places his toes under the flyer’s hip, near the upper part …
Trapdoor Variations
Trap Door washing machine
The Trapdoor washing machine is one of the most well-known and beloved movements in acro yoga. Study the poses and …
