A very famous yoga instructor taught me how to straddle press to handstand.
That may or may not surprise you, but this will:
She was never my teacher. Not online, not offline, not ever, anywhere, any time. But then again, she was.
You see, this woman and I used to take all the same classes with all the same teachers. And I’m not going to name names, but this girl sort of…well…sucked at asana.
She was clunky and uncoordinated. Misaligned and imbalanced.
But she tried. Man, how she tried.
It has to have been about a dozen years ago now, but I remember it like it was yesterday. We were in an advanced class (that, no judgment, but she probably shouldn’t have been in in the first place) and–God bless her–she decided to practice her handstand in the middle of the room. Everyone was jumping from downward facing dog into handstand and she decided to join in the fun.
She fell flat on her back with a tremendous thud.
Everyone turned to look, make sure she was okay.
And she just smiled, got back up, and tried again.
And she fell. Again.
This went on for months, if not years. You know the saying, “fall seven times, get up eight.”
You already know the end of the story. She is a world famous yoga instructor today, a handstand and inversion expert on every social media platform you can think of. And here’s how it happened.
Over time, we must have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of classes together. And slowly, but surely, I watched this baby giraffe grow into a gazelle.
I had mastered by handstand balance years before she did and then one day…
We were in a class and, lo and behold, I saw her straddle press into a handstand! A skill I had never even tried!
Now, here’s the thing: when you see someone doing something (anything!) you can’t do (or believe you can’t do), you have two choices. Get defeated or get inspired.
I chose to be inspired.
And guess what? I tried the press and I got it on the first shot.
Not because I am super human, or even super yogini, but just because I invoked the same mantra that has carried me into all of the crazy poses I have ever executed: “If anyone can do it, I can do it!” (And especially if shecould do it!)
Can you?
Handstands are sort of the Holy Grail of yoga. There is so much technical alignment that goes into them, but I am here to tell you that they are no more than 50% physical and they are at least 50% mental.
You can know where your hands are, your shoulders, your hips, your feet. Your core. But if you don’t know where your mind is, good luck!
This concept is at the heart of my Handstand Breakthrough Revolution program. A life-altering, eight-week handstand course that will completely change the way you approach your yoga and approach your life.
Body shift. Mind Shift. Life shift.
Shift happens.
Want to learn more? Email me to set up your free 45-minute Handstand Breakthrough consultation. Because I am a great handstand teacher, but your own trained mind can be an even better one.
YOGAthletica 