Handstand Tutorial

Video

Handstand Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Intermediate

Angela Kukhahn

Learn the key points of doing a handstand, both at the wall and in the center of the room. When you're ready, try the classes below that incorporate your handstand into a complete practice!

Class details

Benefits

Builds muscles in the chest, shoulders, triceps and core.
Increases spatial awareness and balance.
Good weight-bearing for wrist, hand and finger bones.
Helps to look at the world from a different perspective, and face your fear of falling.

Key Alignment Points

Start in down dog, hands an inch or so away from the wall.
Hands are shoulders’ distance apart, creases of the wrists are parallel to the front edge of your mat.
Bend a knee and step one foot forward a enough that you can lean forward, so the shoulders are over the palms of your hands.
Wrap the outer arms back, so you feel that your upper back is broad, and keep your shoulder blades on your back.
Keep your arms straight, and your shoulders plugged into the shoulder sockets.
Draw your navel in, lift the pelvic floor, and spin your inner thighs toward the wall or the space behind you.
Try to stand on the ceiling with your feet.
Breathe!

Contraindications

Wrist, shoulder, back, neck or elbow injuries
Headache
Heart condition
High blood pressure

Ready to work it?

Here are some classes featuring Handstand.

65 minutes

Breathe + Stay Curious

By Ally Hamilton on Nov 1, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

This practice opens with a short (4 minute) talk about attachment and non-attachment, the sandwich generation, loss, grief, change - and how cultivating curiosity is the best and easiest way to move through it all (which doesn't mean it's easy, just easier). We then move into a dancing warrior flow that targets hip and shoulder opening, standing balance, core strength, backbends, deep stretching, and inversions. Try to stay curious about what you're feeling as you move from shape to shape, and let your deep breath be the foundation. Quick note - we are replacing a mixer, but I went ahead and filmed without it. I know the sound is a little echo-y, but I don't think it will be distracting. Love to all as we navigate whatever losses come our way x
30 minutes

Hip-Opening Heat + Flow

By Angela Kukhahn on Oct 16, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Advanced

Vinyasa into fall with Angela! This practice is a blend of strength, flying, and continuous flow on the breath. We balance strength and challenge with fluidity and yummy stretches. Lots of love for the hips of course. 30 minutes of awesome, basically - enjoy :)
49 minutes

Strong and Open

By Angela Kukhahn on Jun 27, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Advanced

A well-balanced strong practice for days when you have good energy and want to move, breathe, and maybe get upside down!
68 minutes

Breathe, Focus, Sweat

By Ally Hamilton on Jun 17, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

The more you breathe, the better you're going to feel. That is the focus in this sweaty, heat-building, core-strengthening, arm-balancing and mindful flow where we get upside down, open everything up and play with lots of fun poses like lotus if that's approachable for you, firefly pose and bhujapidasana, crow pose, tripod headstand, handstand and more. This is an all-over feel good flow with an emphasis on hip-opening and focus. Enjoy! (2 blocks may be helpful, along with a bolster or firm couch pillow :))
51 minutes

Do What You Can

By Brent Laffoon on May 26, 2024

Yoga for Athletes Intermediate

Sometimes you can do more than you think, other times you can't quite do as much as you hope. The important thing is simply to do the best you can. This practice aims to help you explore what might be possible for you today... Enjoy!
61 minutes

Twists + Turns

By Ally Hamilton on Apr 25, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

Join me for a full-body awakening flow with some fun twists and turns so you can practice for them off the mat as well ;) Plenty of hip, hamstring and shoulder opening along with core strengthening so we can play with arm balances like koundinyasana 1 and dwi pada, and inversions including tripod headstand and handstand variations. The theme is listening to your body and your intuition, the best guides when you're dealing with twists and turns!
58 minutes

All the Right Moves

By Ally Hamilton on Apr 15, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

If you're looking for a delicious all-over feel-good flow, you've come to the right place. Lots of shoulder, hip, hamstring and heart-opening along with core strengthening and time to play upside down. Long holds in pigeon and variations on pigeon, and a nice wide straddle forward fold. Deep, mindful breath and movement to soothe what ails you, and a very sweet savasana to send you gliding into your day.
75 minutes

Flow + Glow

By Ally Hamilton on Apr 2, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

Friends, this is a dynamic, nonstop flow full of heat-building and deep breathing, standing balance, arm balances, inversions, backbends, core strengthening and lots of long, stretchy, juicy holds so we can use all that heat to open deeply. If you want to flow and glow, this is for you. Enjoy!
33 minutes

Ready, Set, Flow!

By Angela Kukhahn on Mar 25, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Advanced

Side body opening, hips, hamstrings, shoulders, quads, standing balance, backbends, handstands ...what more could you ask for in 30 minutes? Ready, set, let's flow!
44 minutes

Feel Good Everywhere Flow

By Ally Hamilton on Mar 25, 2024

Vinyasa Flow Intermediate

Do you ever feel like a flow that just feels good everywhere? That's what I was in the mood for, so that's the class I taught :) Delicious hip, hamstring and shoulder opening, active or restorative backbends depending on your energy level, just the right amount of meaningful core work, and options for legs-up-the-wall or handstand variations. You decide what you need! Plenty of options to turn the heat up or down. Whichever way you go, it's gonna feel good. Enjoy, my yogis!