Yoga 101: L-Pose Handstand Prep

It’s very interesting how so many adults in my yoga classes shy away from going upside down. Sure, you’ve got the adventurous ones now and then, but largely the word “inversion” is the surest way to cause a panic in class.

The benefits of inversions are well-documented, vast and impressive. When we were children with a more playful sense of ourselves and the world around us, we had no problems trying to invert ourselves. But things changed for many of us — somewhere along the line we lost our confidence and gained a debilitating fear of failure.

So this month’s Yoga 101 is all about taking those first few steps out of fear and into bravery and confidence — we’re working on a variation of handstand that uses the wall as support called L-Pose or Halfstand.

Going Upside Down

L-Pose is all about the shoulders and good old-fashioned core support. So in this video, I’ll walk you through the key actions that will help get you into the pose and which also serve to create a solid foundation for handstand.

Since being upside down with our weight in our hands is not something we do all that frequently, be prepared to be ridiculously patient with yourself. If you’re serious about working through the obstacles preventing you from flying, you’ll need to practice regularly and consistently. In time, you’ll start to find ease in having your heart above your head.

And one final note on props: If you find your elbows keep bending under the weight, try using a strap just above your elbows using a loop that is shoulder-width in diameter as described here.

Be sure to check out our past Yoga 101 posts for tips to find your flow in Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, Chaturanga, Sun A, Baby Crow and the Splits.

Ready to flip your perspective? —Alison