Flip Your Perspective
0I’d like to say that I love to live life upside down. What does that mean exactly? Well, How many times do you flip upside down and look at the world from a different perspective? Literally – how often do you turn upside down? For me, it’s everyday. By that I mean doing handstands.
Ah, the handstand: It’s the careless posture of our childhood when anything was possible with a backyard and a nice crash landing pad. But, as time passes and we grow up, we lose that fearlessness. We can’t trust our arms to hold our weight.
Handstand is not a pose that comes naturally to all of us. We all have preconceived notions about ourselves and about our capabilities. Doing a handstand at a wall is terrifying enough, much less doing it in the middle of the room. I would like to say that with practice and determination both in body and mind, this pose, handstand, can remind you that you are capable of anything you put your mind to.
While there are many reasons why you shouldn’t do handstands (depending on your health..etc) there are many reasons why you should. Handstands can ease stress, tension and even depression, and you may also find that you are able to sleep more soundly and stay focused throughout the day.
Handstands are definitely one of my favourite things to do both on and off the mat. I am very happy sharing my love for handstands with everyone and always incorporate them into my Yoga classes. For those interested, I encourage you to learn and to be fearless! That being said, please make sure you have a proper teacher when learning and starting a foundation.
So get upside down today! Do a headstand, a handstand, or a forearm stand. Inverting daily increases your concentration, builds upper body strength, helps your circulation… and it’s extremely empowering! Any pose where your heart is higher than your head is an inversion. Flip your perspective any way that is the most suitable for your body. It’ll clear your head.
As my favourite yogi, Kathryn Budig says “So much magic lies beyond our fears.”
Spenser Chapple
