workouts

Why Handstand?

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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.

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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? 

Resourceful

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In these wild, crazy, challenging times I have been reaching out the my resources more than ever. I have many personal “resources”, or stress management techniques, I’ve cultivated over the years, including this list, but this post is about sharing the online resources I return to again and again for mental, physical, and spiritual grounding.

Here’s my short(ish), very current list:

Podcasts

10 Percent Happier This is a new find for me. I had heard host Dan Harris’s story several times and of his 10 Percent Happier “brand”/concept but just started listening to the podcast this week. The interviews cover a wide breadth of topics all within the theme of increasing your personal well-being, often from a Buddhist standpoint. I especially enjoyed the episode with Sylvia Boorstein, Is it Still Okay to be Happy?, which was part of the inspiration for yesterday’s post.

“Joy is a necessity right now, not a luxury.”

-Sylvia Boorstein

Tara Brach this woman…insert heart eyed emoji…she is an amazing Buddhist teacher who’s “talks” have picked my heart and head up off the floor to many times to count over the last several years. (or just as often pulled my head out of my ass). I come back to her Anger; Responding, Not Reacting talk again and again, as well as the two part Awakening Through Anger- The U Turn to Freedom but one of the things I really appreciate about her talks is that they are all relatable, they are about our humanness.

And now for something completely different; Chris Kimball’s Milk Street is my current favorite cooking podcast. It’s a lovely mix of education, food history, and food memoir.

Life Kit: NPR is another new find for me. I’ve listened to several of their 10-30 minute episodes on being human on everything from how to grocery shop during a pandemic to how to make tiny changes in your life to elicit big change. These mini episodes feel a little bit like crib notes for life.

Online Exercise

Vari-Move by Liz Reynolds is an online subscription service with the mission statement of encouraging members to move their bodies in a variety of ways, from HIIT to yoga to myofascial release work; a one stop movement shop! Full disclosure, Liz is one of my closest friends and colleagues, as well as a very sought out Charlottesville local teacher, and I’ve been a guest teacher teacher on Vari-Move twice so far (my dance based conditioning classes are available for members in the archives anytime).

Pilates AnyTime is an awesome Pilates online subscription service that has a HUGE library of classes at all levels, Pilates styles, and workout lengths from top teachers around the country (world?). They are geared a bit more towards Pilates pros/intermediate students and towards equipment work but for the nominal monthly fee, there is plenty on there for even the “Pilates curious”.

HASfit I stumbled upon Coach Kozak and Claudia’s YouTube Channel years ago and it’s remained a ‘go-to’ resource when I need a full body & creative strength and cardio workout. I appreciated their positive, not punishing, and approachable approach to exercise. They offer most of their content free!

DocJenFit (instagram, YouTube, Podcast) is my current health professional crush. Jen Esquer is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who loves to educate and empower people in their bodies (hmmmm, no wonder it resonates with me 🙂 )

Me 🙂 I am an excellent resource for myself after nearly three decades of studying movement, exercise, fitness, and physical wellness. I can be a resource for you too; here’s what I have to offer

Virtual Mat Pilates Classes and Privates through Posture Studio Pilates, for more information and booking click here

Virtual “Mini Workshops” through Gracefulfitness, for more information and booking click here

Past Gracefulfitness blog posts on working out/exercise can be found by clicking here

Gracefulfitness on YouTube can be found by clicking here. I am returning to my YouTube Channel after a 5 or 6 year hiatus, the content is minimal right now but I will be adding more weekly!

Two notes in closing, first none of the above were solicited plugs and it is definitely not a comprehensive list but rather a very “in the moment” list of resources I go-to. Second, please share your resources in the comments! Also feel free to “plug” yourself, what do you have to offer this community right now?

In mental, physical, and spiritual health,

Faith