Handstand 1: neutral spine

Hi Melissa, Yay!! Well done :) It takes time for the wrists to strengthen, so its quite normal they are uncomfortable in the beginning. You hold the pose a little longer every time, building the strength up gradually. If you follow the rest of the handstand classes I will talk about the right alignment and actions of the hand and wrists to make it safe. Hope that helps.

Thanks Cecy, and indeed like Patthabi jois said "Practice and all will come " @ Lis, :-)) Glad you found what you were looking for !

Good to hear Brendita!

Glad you're back Nathalie! Jill yes, it takes practice with the other leg :-) Glad you found the class helpful!!

Thank you Esther and Frosina.. yes once you know warm your wrists up well..

Francesca, :-)) Woohoo .. and keep it up , hope Bergen is dry today x

Annemarie, yes! that is the start...

Anne and Gael, how great that the neutral spine alignment improved your head stand, good idea to apply it to the King of the Yoga asanas. !!

Anita, see above as well, the arm strength video is http://www.ekhartyoga.com/video/strengthen-your-arms-for-armbalances Core: http://www.ekhartyoga.com/video/build-your-core That will help Christine, keep trying, its just as much a mind shift as a shift in the body, visualize it before doing it! x

Hey Luca, It could be fear too... But you can always practice my arm strength and core strength short videos on the site to build up a bit more. Also you can try turning around with your down dog, feet to the wall, make the down dog small, and walk your feet up the wall to hip height, so you make an L shape, half handstand with the feet at the wall hip height. If you can do that, you are strong enough.. that variation is actually harder for the arms.. To measure where the hands should be sit with your back against the wall extend your legs, where the feet are you place your hands (or a little bit further with stiff shoulders)

Christina, Wonderful you managed twice! Once you can do it practicing handstand every day, and trying to increase holding time is a really good way to improve your arm strength fast ...

Great Esther! Thank you!, in each of your clases I always learn something new.. Love Esther G

Great class, thank you! X

Cannot lift the 2nd leg,but 1time 1 touched the wall with 1 feet and this felt right Thank you :)

For the first time I was able to kick up agains the wall into headstand but it only happened twice and did not last very long. I tried to keep in mind the neutral spine alignments but my wrists were in a lot of pain/strain. Do you know what I could be doing wrong?

Really helpful class, struggling with hopping up using other leg!

Dear Esther such a GREAT class! WoW! So many informations to learn and assimilate for our bodies&minds. For the FIRST TIME i manage to kickoff compleately alone agains the wall for two times! As you said: "the wall is our best friend"! I think it is difficult for our mind to accept that! I think that the "fear" is playing a big role on this pose. It was SUCH A GREAT FEELING to be there and I felt for some second the balance point, but basically I have the tendency to be in a banana shape. (I took a video of myself, that is very helpful!). It was difficult to change the leg side, once I got safe in one side... I'll try again the next days! Thank You Jenny & Sandra You are doing doing so well! :) Greetings from rainy Bergen, Francesca.

I just don't believe in my ams enough. Couldn't face hopping up. :(

Thank you Esther for your reply! I sometimes practice that variation and hold it for 30-45 seconds, but still can't jump. Maybe you are right, it could be just fear! I'll keep practicing. Namaste!

The first part was easy, but I'm not able to jump to the handstand yet. I think I need stronger arms and core. The strange thing is that I can easily do the headstand (Sirsasana) with the wall, and stay there for a couple of minutes.

Hi! Unable to hop my self up from the leg raised position. Is there an interim pose that will prepare me for the handstand ? am i doing something wrong or do i strengthen my core before i try again? I do not have strong arms. Anita

Thanks 2 Ruud and the team, to bring me back on track! Video's are working again :-) Thank you Esther.

Esther, I have problems with seeing the video's for some days now. Can the support team please help me. I get a black square and no video... Thank you! Nathalie

ment head stand!!! was still too overwhelmed by my succesfull attempt! anne

great class, but it is going to take more of me to reach the wall!!! Unstead I practice the best shoulder stand ever ( for me!)!Finally unsdestood the alignement of the body! Thank you for that! Anne

My breath is free and easy. Such a beautiful class. I am still amazed, after practicing with EkhartYoga for months, how much I have learned about alignment and my core and everything. It is a beautiful journey. I watched your handstand and I did see how you lifted from your pelvis. I have a gymnastic and diving background from my youth so I do start my handstand standing. I tried to kick up from downward dog, and, let me put it this way, I will keep trying :) All my love, Christine

Not yet, but getting there. I've realized fear plays a great part in it, but I finally mastered it in headstand, so why not in handstand? Just gotta keep working on it. Great class for alignment. Thanks!

Oops, logged in there from a computer we shared but from a wrong account:) Apologies to Dunja! Frosina

Hoorray, the neutral spine is a long and happy one!:) The class left me feeling taller even in a seated position. I felt a moment of balance with legs off the wall and it felt heavenly! only once though, but it was a treat, I will keep working on it. I can't wait to see the escape tutorial:) I only had the problem with my wrists, I would have to warm them up really good, they're my weak spot. The first part of the class is very mathematical and your instructions so detailed, the plank really felt great and the downward dog harder than usual. I was a classical ballet dancer for a long time and I'm sorry I didn't practise with you while I was dancing regularly. I'm sure that yoga - the way you teach it and approach it - helps immensely the dancers' technique and keeps their bodies longer lasting!:) Thank you. Frosina

i understood the lifting up not from the legs but for the core and pelvis, and i found it a very professional way to do it.

Hi Nathalie, Ruud is sitting opposite me at this moment composing an email to help you sort this out! :) It will be in your inbox shortly.

Uhuff! I need better arm muscles! I managed handstand twice and at the first time it was still possible to think of the neutral core. Then I watched and admired :-)

oooh Ekart I waited for a year ...trying everyone recommendation,,, but inside me I had that feeling that I learn it only from you,,, and here I am my wish came true,,,, I learned every asana from you,,, love you and God bless you all . Namaste

Wonderful class! Even if I only hoped and hoped and could once touch the wall I felt that neutral spine balancing me. It is only after your class that I realised inverted poses like handstand and headstand are all about balance and alligment. Thank you, Esther! Thank you, Jenny and Sandra!

Thanks esther, I have used the neufral spine for my head stand and after i didnt have pain in my neck gael

I didn't get up there today, but I can't wait to try again - also I love the high block under the sacrum and the wall relaxation, thank you Esther ❤️

This was fantastic! I have stalled in my handstand practice and decided to work on it from the ground up again. This is exactly what I needed. Your instruction and cues are so helpful. I'm so dominant with my right leg, that I can't even kick up using the left! Something to work on :)

I kick myself tired but still can't get there. I will just repeat and repeat again and again with these classes.

The ending of thi class is by far my favorite! I feel I am really in my body the whole time, which is hard for me in shavasana at times.. I've been doing this series for about a week now... and i still can't even get up to try to balance.. I know it is fear... because I feel strong enough.. it has really been a mirror of my life off the mat... I know i will balance one day..... Namaste

This video doesn't seem to play anymore. I tried a few others and they work but not this one. Thank you.

This is the 3rd time I'm doing this class and I still can't get my legs up :( I kick the wall once today. Do you think I should continue doing this class until I am able to do a handstand or the next classes will provide techniques that might help actually doing the handstand to the wall?