When most people see contortionism for the first time, their reaction is often one of shock or disbelief: how is that even possible? The performance art, which involves twisting the body into poses requiring supreme flexibility, seems extreme. It is extreme. But on the other hand, people twist themselves into pretzel-like shapes during yoga practice or Pilates classes every day.

Could a contortion class be all that different? I always loved watching the circus as a kid, and I'd find myself curious about the art form and practice of contortion back then. The artists looked so impressive, performing incredible feats such as deep backbends, inversions, or mind-boggling human pyramids. As an adult, I have even more of an appreciation of contortionism's intriguing blend of elegance, flexibility, strength, body awareness, and control.

So even though I was daunted by the practice, I decided to take the plunge anyway. I signed up for a class led by Anna Batchuluun through her website Blue Sky Circus Productions . Batchuluun is a professional contortionist who grew up in Mongolia and calls herself a second-generation circus performer.

"My dad used to be a high wire [walker] and unicyclist. My uncle was a circus musician too, so I was always in that environment," she tells PS. She began performing internationally at just 10 years old, ultimately going on to perform in Cirque du Soleil shows like "O" and "Zumanity".

She even once performed in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show , where s.