Press to Handstand

14.4.10

14 Insightful Comments:

Boodiba said...

As soon as I have less than a billion asana I'm really going to work on this. Thanks for posting!

peaceloveyoga said...

Right on! :)

Boodiba said...

It's a project I've been meaning to get to. I'm very strong. But currently John is still torturing me by making me do 2nd before 3rd every day & earning my 3rd pose by pose. It's just too much. By the time I get to the end of practice all I'm focused on is getting to savasana...

Mamma Hälsa said...

Any advice on how to work on pressing to handstand? Thank you in advance! Anna

peaceloveyoga said...

@ Boodiba - Yes, you are very strong! I've seen some of your videos. :)

Ha! I'm on the same circuit practicing all of 2nd and most of 3rd. Though, I do one day of just third, and Friday are always for Primary, Sundays are always for just 2nd. Weeeelll, I guess that means I only do it 3x's a week. Haha

I've heard really good things about John. You're lucky to have such a fabulous teacher.



@ Anna - I'll have to write a post on how to build and approach handstand at some point. In my past I've done a lot of work at the wall since most of my development has been practicing on my own.

Simply kicking up and holding for a period of time is beneficial. And working at holding it longer and longer is good.

With pressing I started by learning to do a straddle press first. This is much easier than from a pike position. One good trick, to get a bit of a boost is to stand on blocks under each foot (practice straddle first) this helps making the lean into the hands and getting the pelvis over the shoulders easier. Here you can work on balance and control for sometime before removing the blocks and trying without using anything. The most challenging part of pressing is lifting those first 6 inches off the floor, then the rest becomes easier to manage.

Also going to the wall and doing the negative action helps to build strength. Kick up and press down with control, doing straddles and pikes.

I know I must have missed something! But, that's all of got right now. I will definitely have to write a blog post and do some videos of handstand progressions at some point.

Best of luck! :)

Boodiba said...

Ahh... I'm not settled in yet. I was doing full 3rd four days a week and four poses of 4th Tues-Thurs with Christopher. John was also more gung-ho on the cranking me in back bending in the summer. Chris had parked me there while he went to do his re-certification thing in Mysore.

Hopefully in a month or so I'll feel acclimated. I should watch more of your clips for inspiration!!!

Mamma Hälsa said...

Thank you! Good advice on working on the straddle. And also working on the negative action (I did that in headstand, working the negative action, which gave me a good "aha"-notion so that I could apply that feeling when going up into headstand with straight legs). So again thank you for the advice but I do think you should write a whole post about it! :-)
I also practice alone and I have to modify my practice a lot due to symphysis pubis dysfunction both during and now after being pregnant. So my focus is building strength...Anna

peaceloveyoga said...

@ Anna - Glad to offer a bit of advice. Best of luck with building strength and healing. Good for you sticking with it. :)

Grimmly said...

Just been reading about the eruption in Eyjafjallajoekull, sure your fine in Reyki though. I was going to suggest you try to make the trip down to Vestmannaeyjar, you can walk up the volcano there, bury and egg on the way up and it's cooked on the way back down (if you can find it) probably not such a good idea now.

I've been working on the press to handstands for so long, can press up OK now, the tiptoes really helps but the pike I still can't manage. I should go back to the blocks and straddle now I'm closer, it was useful when I tried it before, thanks for the reminder.

I'd always assumed you'd always practiced at a shala, were you really a home yogi ??? not sure how I feel about that, I'd kind of put my lack of finesse and elegance down to practicing at home, no excuses now.

peaceloveyoga said...

@ Grimmly - YES! The second volcano eruption has been a hot topic the last couple days. Very interesting in that it's bursting out of a glacier! Lots of water melting! I like the cooking the egg idea, lol! Reyki's cool so far.

Yep. The majority of my yoga experience has been self-practice, though I have had the chance to work with amazing teachers for short stints, and 3 extended trips to India. Always helps!

But yeah, the majority of my experience has been on my own. Often it's tough, but I feel it builds a different type of mental and physical strength. Although, sometimes a feel like a yoga orphan and crave for a teacher everyday, it just hasn't worked out that way for me. So I gotta do what I can do with what I got!

I think the work you do is wonderful! Such discipline! Great job.

Grimmly said...

Thanks Laruga, but god, I need to raise my game. I thought your practice was so precise because you had a teacher ironing out the kinks everyday. Of course the India trips and workshops help but I'm really quite in awe of your discipline, got me thinking about my approach to my own practice, perhaps I need to focus on the details more
.
re the Volcano, two of my colleagues are due to fly out to Dubai tomorrow morning (my Music shop does Instrument repairs there a few times a year) but the airports have all been closed over here because of the ash.

peaceloveyoga said...

To be honest Grimmly I'm a bit of a yoga nerd. I really do love practicing the basics as much as the "fancy" stuff. Giving each movement a beginning, middle and end, even the simplest of movements really brings me into presence. Important for a girl who has such an active mind such as myself!

Yah! This volcano eruption is really reeking havoc with travel in and around Europe. I can't believe I'm in Iceland during this radical event!

Grimmly said...

I like that, 'a beginning a middle and an end'.

Glitter From The Dross said...

Thank you for this post (and comments!) I have been practicing ashtanga without a teacher for a year now in China, so access to your blog is sometimes dicey...I have a 3 sec handstand going on right now but I'm going to try your straddle advice. beautiful poses and writing here, thank you.

RG

 

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