Yoga 101: Drills to Take Your Handstand to the Next Level
Last month we showed you how to use the wall to prep for moving into handstand — if you missed it, check it out here. And while L-pose is a great place to start your handstand journey, the No. 1 thing I’m asked when discussing handstand is how to get better at it and move away from the wall. Fortunately for my students (and you), this is something I spent years struggling with. I’ve tried everything to get to where I am today.
I’m probably not the first person to tell you that to get better at handstand you’ve got to practice … a lot. And not just once a week for like 10 minutes. It takes a ton of consistency and work to slay the handstand dragon.
But what if you’re not yet strong or confident enough to hold handstand long enough to practice it? Then what?
To improve, you’ve got to do a ton of repetitions. And to do the repetitions, you’ve got to physically be able to do the thing you’re repeating. So me telling you to hold a freestanding handstand away from the wall to get better isn’t going to help unless you’re already capable of holding said freestanding handstand, right?
So that’s our focus in this month’s installment of Yoga 101 — accessible practice drills.
Time to Be Brave
We’re giving you lots of options in our video this month, so no matter what level you’re at there’s something here for you to try. It’s all about continuing down the path of stepping out of fear and into bravery and confidence. The more you practice the easier it’ll be. Keep practicing and you’ll find that you are capable of so much more than you think.
One quick note on the wall: It can become a crutch and I’ve seen many students get stuck there. To move away from the wall consistently, you’ve ultimately got to practice away from the wall. My advice is to practice drills away from the wall with a trusted friend or step farther away from the wall and work on control by not touching the wall.
Be sure to check out our previous Yoga 101 posts for tips to find your flow in Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, Chaturanga, Sun A, Baby Crow and the Splits.
Let me know how it goes in the comments! —Alison