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Day: May 1, 2020

Why Handstand?

May 1, 2020 by gracefulfitness 1 Comment

Why do I handstand?

 

Handstands are a perfect mix of empowering and humbling.

 

Handstands are a great benchmark of where I am at in my physicality.

 

 

I spent a most of my teens and early twenties with wrists so weak and tender that sometimes I couldn’t even hold a heavy skillet without pain, not a helpful or fun thing for a professional modern dancer, fitness professional, yogi (and this was in the time of all chataranga, all the time), and overall athletic person.

 

Thanks primarily to chiropractic wrist adjustments, I have been mostly pain-free and strong in that area for over a decade. 

 

An 18 year old hamstring injury sometimes prevents me from having the mobility to kick up into an handstand. When I can practice kicking up on each side I know that my hip and hamstring are in a happy, healthy place. 

 

 

 

Handstands are the burpee equivalent for dancers/yogis; they require full body strength and coordination, they are hard, they challenge your endurance.

handstand2 

Unlike burpees, which I also love, handstands are playful!  The only other activity that brings me the joy of equally feeling kid-like and playful and being very empowered in my own body is mountain biking. 

 

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have always been in awe of gymnasts; to me, that type of athleticism is the ultimate in self-assured, confident, mobile (albeit often way imbalanced, extreme mobility), strong, and graceful embodying. It’s always felt ‘otherly’ to me; unattainable and superhuman. 

Back flips are not in the cards for me but I can taste a little of the magic by playfully challenging myself in handstands. 

 

This is why I always taught handstands when I was on dance faculty at Piedmont; it is empowering to turn your world upside down and learn how to land on your own two feet. 

I would see students go from; “I can’t” “I’m scared” to “wow, that’s fun! I’ve never imaged I would be able to do that”, a little bit of their inner superhuman emerging before my eyes. 

I photograph myself in handstands for the same reason; I still surprise myself that I am capable of this feat. Pictures help me see progress in my strength and form while simultaneously bringing me a sense of my own super-humanness; “wow, that’s fun! I never imagined I would be able to do that!”

Do you handstand? 

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Posted in: dance, workouts, yoga Tagged: handstands

I am Faith Levine, a movement instructor, home gardener, mountain biker, hiker, pickle maker, closet poet, and best of friend to some of the most amazing women in the world.

I’d love to hear from you,
gracefulfitness@live.com

Header photo: Meredith Coe

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Hi, I'm Faith! New? Check out I Am for my story, I Cook for recipes, and I Move for some motivation to get moving! I'd love to hear from you, e-mail me gracefulfitness@live.com
Header photo: Meredith Coe

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