Difficulty: Medium

Safety Warning: This juggling technique is trickier than some of our others as your coordination for throwing and catching can change while lying down. Make sure you’ve got a clear space around you with nothing breakable nearby. Using softer objects like rolled up socks instead of balls can help protect your belongings and your face while learning. And remember to warm up your wrists first.

Elly teaches us how to juggle a 3 ball cascade while lying down. First you’ll learn the technique, then the pattern, and then you’ll be shown how to transition into it from a regular cascade to lying down.

You’ll start by practicing your single ball throws while lying on your back. You should be in a comfortable position, and not be holding tension in your neck and shoulders. To ensure a good throw and catch aim the ball at the ceiling directly above your head. Not too low and not too high.

Next Elly teaches you the technique for juggling 2 balls. Your balls should be making an X pattern in the air as they cross paths. Remember to throw them singly and not simultaneously. Try saying the order out loud to help you with the timing ‘throw, throw, catch, catch’.

After you’ve mastered 2 balls its time to move on to the 3 ball cascade. Pick up your third ball, and whichever hand is starting your throws should be the one with 2 in it. It will take some practice to be able to continuously juggle like Elly, but to help make sure to keep switching which hand starts with 2 balls as this will help develop the pathway.

Finally Elly will teach you how to transition seamlessly between a regular 3 ball cascade to lying down and juggling above your head and back up again.

Already mastered a 3 ball cascade lying down? Why not check out Val’s tutorial on Antipodism – foot juggling while lying on your back.

Or you could try some of Tom’s 2 ball juggling tricks lying down.

You can see all our videos and activities here.