After brainstorming questions surrounding my practice, I thought it would be best to take a deep dive and try and find the answers to some of my questions. While I believe physically practicing handstands is the most crucial step to achieving success, I do think it is important to conduct research and unpack the questions from the previous week. Please see here for a video that details how I would go about researching the questions.
One of the questions that really stood out to me was the following: Why do I want to learn how to do a handstand?
I want to learn how to do a handstand because ever since I can remember, I have always thought that being able to do a handstand was so awesome and cool. I love the idea of being upside-down and have always wondered what it would be like to be able to stand on my hands and not fall down. I admire and have secretly been envious of those who are able to do a handstand as it requires a great deal of hard work, discipline, balance, and physical strength.
My fascination with handstands is definitely linked to my interest in Yoga. In 2019, I travelled to Rishikesh, a city in India, where I completed a 200-hour yoga teaching course and became certified as a yoga instructor. I highly recommend the AYM Yoga School if anyone is interested in completing their certification in India. My trip to Rishikesh was very transformative as not only was I able to strengthen my yoga practice but I also really pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I was exposed to eye-opening experiences that have positively influenced my life, such as hiking in the Himalaya’s, and I developed a greater sense of confidence in myself. Not to mention the food was SO GOOD. I still think about all the meals I ate while completing my training. But something I vividly remember thinking during my training was how I wish someday I could do a handstand. At that point of my training I could barely keep up with the class but I have progressed so much and I now feel ready to tackle handstands.
WOW! I can’t believe you had that experience! Being in that environment must have been incredible. The yoga school you linked looks really interesting too! I had a friend who did some yoga training in Pai, Thailand and she loved it. She talked about how her physical strength improved a lot throughout her training. Here https://madmonkeyhostels.com/h2o_blog/pai-yoga-studios/ is a link to a few recommended retreats in Pai if you ever want to do more yoga in a new place!
What a gorgeous photo! You have a very personal link to this exploration and I look forward to seeing you achieve your goal. From your video, it’s clear you’ve got the confidence to try but need some tips on technique. Given your experience with yoga, I have to utmost confidence that you’ll learn this skill. Your balance is certainly better than the majority of the population!
Truly INSPIRING! First off I admire how you mention that the food was amazing as I am an absolute foodie. Just imagining the foods you tried makes me excited to travel to Rakish. Yoga sounds like a great experience, I’ve tried it before but not for very long so it’s something I’d like to get back into. Your blog is very thought provoking and I can’t wait to see your next post.
That is so cool that you have your yoga license! Traveling to India is definitely the way to go for yoga. I’d love to travel there for the beauty and culture. I have also been interested in calisthenics and handstand activities. Excited to see your journey!