Weightless Inversions

Weightless Inversions

sirsasana

WEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS

Weightless inversions are not about removing effort. They are about redistributing it with awareness. Matt reminds us that when we refine how we place weight through the hands, shoulders, and core, the body begins to feel lighter even though we are still working. This is where presence becomes essential. Instead of rushing to lift, we stay connected to each engagement, noticing where the weight travels and how the body responds. There is also a mental component here. The crown chakra is not about eliminating thought, but about strengthening the mind so that stillness can exist even while thoughts continue. When we stay attentive to sensation and breath, the posture becomes less about control and more about clarity. Weightless inversions begin when we learn how to organize both body and mind together.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

CHROMATIC 50Hr. CERTIFICATION

GLOBAL 50Hr. TRAINING

  • 50hr Certification Program
  • For Yoga Teachers, Pilates Instructors, and Fitness Trainers
  • Anatomical Sequencing
  • Masterful Verbal Cues
  • Effective Visual Demonstration
  • Teach Bio-mechanics Without Breaking the Flow
  • Join the Global Community of Chromatic Teachers
  • American Yoga Council & Yoga Alliance Continued Ed

HANDSTAND CHAIR DRILLS

In the handstand chair drills, Matt gives us a way to experience inversion without the pressure of full balance. One foot stays grounded on the chair while the other knee draws into the chest. From here, we explore shifting weight into the hands while maintaining awareness through the standing foot. The fingers actively grip the ground, creating a new relationship with stability. As we alternate legs or extend into an L shape, we ask simple questions. Can we breathe? Can we think clearly? Can we feel where the weight is? The grounded foot reminds us of our connection to the earth, while the hands begin to take on that same role. Weightless inversions start to make sense when we trust both points of contact and remain present within the transitions.

WATCH THE VIDEO

WEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS: CLEAR STRATEGIES FOR HEADSTAND & HANDSTAND

HEADSTAND WORK WITH BLOCK SUPPORT

Headstand work with block support introduces a different relationship to inversion. With the hands pressing into the ground and the head resting lightly between the blocks, we remove the weight from the neck. Matt emphasizes that the shoulders carry the work, allowing the head to remain relaxed and free. From this position, we can explore bringing one knee or both knees into the chest without rushing upward. The experience becomes less about getting vertical and more about understanding where support is coming from. The presence of the blocks gives us feedback, encouraging us to stay lifted through the shoulders rather than collapsing downward. In weightless inversions, this kind of support allows us to feel stability without strain, creating space for both strength and ease.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

HEADSTAND PREPARATION

In headstand preparation, Matt shifts the focus toward active engagement through the neck and shoulders. With the head off the ground, we walk the feet in and press the head back into the thumbs. This activates the muscles along the back of the neck and creates a subtle connection to the throat chakra.  As we continue to walk in, the weight shifts more into the arms, preparing us for lift without forcing it. Bringing one knee into the chest, then switching sides, we begin to understand how balance develops gradually. The intention is not to collapse into the head, but to remain supported through the upper body. Weightless inversions are built here, through steady progression and attention to detail.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

CLARITY OF MIND

Clarity of mind develops alongside physical awareness. Matt reminds us that the crown chakra is not about silencing thoughts completely, but about strengthening our ability to remain steady while thoughts continue to arise. In these inversion practices, we return again and again to presence. Feeling the fingers grip, the shoulders engage, and the breath moving through the body becomes the anchor. Each repetition offers insight into where we are holding tension or losing connection. Over time, this awareness creates a sense of calm within the posture. Weightless inversions are not achieved through force, but through refinement. When the body organizes with intention and the mind remains steady, a quiet sense of balance begins to emerge.

Matt’s upcoming 50Hr. Chromatic Certification is an opportunity to elevate your practice and journey as a Yoga Teacher.  Register today to reserve your spot.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Chakra Vinyasa Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Better Joint Support

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Weightless Inversions

Weightless Inversions

Weightless InversionssirsasanaWEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS Weightless inversions are not about removing effort. They are about redistributing it with awareness. Matt reminds us that when we refine how we place weight through the hands, shoulders, and core, the body begins to...

read more
Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart ChakrabackbendOPENING THE HEART CHAKRA Opening the heart chakra is not simply about reaching deeper into a backbend. Matt reminds us that this space is rooted in love, balance, and connection, both with ourselves and with others. It reflects how we...

read more
5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

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5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga TeachersYoga TeachersVisual Demonstration This is often confused with “teaching from the mat.” Teaching at the front of the room can be useful at the right time and place, but that is not what we are referring to here. In...

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Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

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Strong Hands For Handstand

Strong Hands For Handstand

STABILITY

STRONG HANDS FOR HANDSTAND

When it comes to building strength for handstand, it starts at the base: our hands. Developing strong hands means targeting the wrist flexors, the very muscles that help create a trustworthy foundation. Wrist circles may seem insignificant, but they offer big returns—they bring fluid into the joints, activate the flexors, extensors, adductors, and abductors, and promote fascial gliding between muscle layers. When we spread our fingers wide during these circles, we also engage the finger abductors. It’s natural to feel fatigue, especially in the beginning stages, but with regular practice, we strengthen these muscles and increase our access to more advanced handstand work. Once the wrists are primed, we layer in drills that gradually add weight and resistance.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

3 DAY HANDSTAND TRAINING

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Wrist Strength For Balance
  • "Bone Stacking" Techniques For Lighter Handstands
  • Shoulder Mobility, Stability, and Bio-Mechanics
  • Integrated Core For Alignment For Entrances
  • Effective Wall Drills and What To Avoid
  • Safe Spotting and How to Support Others
  • How to Balance and How to Fall Safely
  • Acrobatic Principles For Consistent Balance
  • Leg Variations

VERTICAL BLOCK DRILL

This drill emphasizes alignment and muscular engagement. We place a block vertically against the forearm to reinforce proper stacking: shoulders slightly ahead of wrists, forearms vertical. From there, we activate the wrist flexors by gripping the floor—thumb and pinky draw toward each other while the other fingers press down and pull inward. In this grip, the middle knuckles lift, while the base of the fingers stays grounded. We then enter a plank—Level 1 with knees down, Level 2 with knees lifted—pushing the shoulder blades apart and rounding the upper back. This alignment creates the vertical foundation necessary for handstand balance and is where we start to train the body’s memory for vertical stacking.

WATCH THE VIDEO

STRONG HANDS FOR HANDSTAND: IMPLEMENT 3 DRILLS FOR SOLID WRISTS

GET MORE UPRIGHT

Practicing on a solid floor—not a yoga mat—enhances feedback through the hands, making it easier to sense engagement in the wrist flexors. As we transition toward a more upright shape, we stand and replicate the earlier hand positioning: fingers gripping, elbows straight, shoulders lifted to the ears. From there, we rise onto the toes, round the upper back, and tuck the chin slightly to look toward the belly button. We also shift weight into the fingers without compromising the roundness or the push in the shoulders. These small yet critical details help simulate the feeling of being in handstand without leaving the ground, making them a key step in nervous system adaptation and strength development.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

FEEL SAFER AGAINST A WALL

As we shift weight from our feet into our hands, the experience can feel vulnerable and unstable. That’s where the wall becomes a trusted ally. Practicing against the wall reduces the fear of falling and allows us to focus more deeply on wrist strength, hand grip, and alignment. Matt also highlights that heel lifts involve significant ankle articulation and strength. With our backs to the wall and feet placed slightly forward, we enhance this articulation while reinforcing the upright posture. This transition teaches our hip flexors to activate as we lift the heels, preparing us for the moment we begin to invert. Repeating this back-and-forth movement builds familiarity and ease in the wrists, helping us feel secure as we move toward handstand.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

OPTIMIZE YOUR ACTIONS

No two handstand journeys are the same. What creates progress is our willingness to experiment with technique while staying grounded in smart biomechanics. Listening to our bodies, honouring our current needs, and making thoughtful decisions from moment to moment are how we build confidence, strength, and sustainability in the practice. The path to a solid handstand is not linear, but with strong hands and intentional action, it becomes attainable. Let’s keep refining, adjusting, and aligning. We’re not just building strength in our hands, we’re building resilience in our practice.

There’s still time to register for Matt’s in person Handstand 3 Day Training

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Inversion Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Supportankle & kneeBUILD BETTER JOINT SUPPORT Sometimes we focus so heavily on flexibility that we forget our joints also need intelligent strength surrounding them. Matt reminds us that stability is not rigidity. It is the body’s ability to...

read more
Hamstring Strength Options

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Hamstring Strength Optionship extensorsHAMSTRING STRENGTH OPTIONS When we think about hamstrings in yoga, most of us immediately think about stretching. Matt reminds us that this powerful muscle group is rarely celebrated for what it is also designed to do: create...

read more
Weightless Inversions

Weightless Inversions

Weightless InversionssirsasanaWEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS Weightless inversions are not about removing effort. They are about redistributing it with awareness. Matt reminds us that when we refine how we place weight through the hands, shoulders, and core, the body begins to...

read more
Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart ChakrabackbendOPENING THE HEART CHAKRA Opening the heart chakra is not simply about reaching deeper into a backbend. Matt reminds us that this space is rooted in love, balance, and connection, both with ourselves and with others. It reflects how we...

read more
5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga TeachersYoga TeachersVisual Demonstration This is often confused with “teaching from the mat.” Teaching at the front of the room can be useful at the right time and place, but that is not what we are referring to here. In...

read more
Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

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read more

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When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
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  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Handstand Actions

Handstand Actions

LEAN, GRIP, PUSH

HANDSTAND ACTIONS

Handstand isn’t something we conquer in a single class, it’s a layered process that demands repetition and refinement. There are certain key handstand actions that are non-negotiable: lifting the shoulders up to the ears, rounding through the spine, and gripping the fingers into the ground. These all support stable alignment. Matt’s consistent cueing of “Lean, Grip, Push” is the anchor in every workshop, class, or immersion where handstands are taught. In today’s video, Matt demonstrates a series of drills that highlight these exact foundations, reinforcing how essential they are to every phase of the posture. When these elements work together, they become a recipe for balance, strength, and progression.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

3 DAY HANDSTAND TRAINING

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Wrist Strength For Balance
  • "Bone Stacking" Techniques For Lighter Handstands
  • Shoulder Mobility, Stability, and Bio-Mechanics
  • Integrated Core For Alignment For Entrances
  • Effective Wall Drills and What To Avoid
  • Safe Spotting and How to Support Others
  • How to Balance and How to Fall Safely
  • Acrobatic Principles For Consistent Balance
  • Leg Variations

STRADDLE JUMPING JACKS

The first drill Matt demonstrates is a potent reminder that even the simplest shapes require deep awareness. Straddle jumping jacks refine the handstand actions we aim to ingrain. As we hop the feet wide and together, we maintain the cues: lean forward, grip the ground with our fingers, push through the shoulders, round the back, and keep the elbows straight. When we hop, it’s common to lose structure, fingers relax, elbows bend, and weight dumps into the wrists. But the key is continuity: every second in motion must include the lean, grip, and push.

WATCH THE VIDEO

HANDSTAND ACTIONS: LAYER THE DETAILS, EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES

TUCK AS PREPARATION FOR STRADDLE

Matt breaks down a tuck-to-straddle progression that keeps us rooted in the core handstand actions. With the back facing a wall, one foot rests on a block while the other leg tucks. The foot on the block transitions between plantar and dorsiflexion to help locate optimal hip-over-shoulder alignment. This small movement fine-tunes our awareness of stacking. The next step is a leg switch—moving from tuck to kick-switch and landing softly with the other foot. Finally, we attempt to hold the tuck shape, continually engaging the lean, grip, and push. This preparatory drill sets a strong foundation before even approaching the full straddle.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

STRADDLE PRACTICE

Building on the straddle jumping jacks and tuck work, we now lean into the full straddle. With legs wide and fingers anchored, we hop into a frog-like position, expanding our legs while keeping our center of gravity aligned with our hands. Over time, we explore transitioning from feet closer together into the wide-leg straddle in the air. For some of us, keeping the feet wide before jumping is a better entry point. The goal isn’t just to hold the shape, but to hold it with integrity — hands grounded, shoulders active, and spine engaged.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

CONNECT TO HANDSTAND

Connection comes through consistency. The handstand actions that once required so much mental effort begin to settle into the body over time. Leaning, gripping, pushing, keeping the ribs in, and actively reaching through the shoulders all combine to form the base of control. We learn to identify energy leaks like elbow bends, shoulder collapse, or relaxed fingers and reclaim our structure in the moment. This is the difference between practicing handstand and embodying it. When we layer the details, we expand the possibilities. And with every rep, we get closer to owning the posture, rather than chasing it.

Register for a valuable intensive in person training handstand training here  3 Day Handstand Training

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Inversion Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Supportankle & kneeBUILD BETTER JOINT SUPPORT Sometimes we focus so heavily on flexibility that we forget our joints also need intelligent strength surrounding them. Matt reminds us that stability is not rigidity. It is the body’s ability to...

read more
Hamstring Strength Options

Hamstring Strength Options

Hamstring Strength Optionship extensorsHAMSTRING STRENGTH OPTIONS When we think about hamstrings in yoga, most of us immediately think about stretching. Matt reminds us that this powerful muscle group is rarely celebrated for what it is also designed to do: create...

read more
Weightless Inversions

Weightless Inversions

Weightless InversionssirsasanaWEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS Weightless inversions are not about removing effort. They are about redistributing it with awareness. Matt reminds us that when we refine how we place weight through the hands, shoulders, and core, the body begins to...

read more
Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart ChakrabackbendOPENING THE HEART CHAKRA Opening the heart chakra is not simply about reaching deeper into a backbend. Matt reminds us that this space is rooted in love, balance, and connection, both with ourselves and with others. It reflects how we...

read more
5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga TeachersYoga TeachersVisual Demonstration This is often confused with “teaching from the mat.” Teaching at the front of the room can be useful at the right time and place, but that is not what we are referring to here. In...

read more
Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

Awakening Solar Plexus Strengththird chakraAWAKENING SOLAR PLEXUS STRENGTH Awakening solar plexus strength invites us into the centre of transformation. Matt reminds us that this third chakra, Manipura, is our fire, our willpower, and our ability to take action. It...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Handstand Mechanics

Handstand Mechanics

INVERSION

HANDSTAND MECHANICS

Stability, strength, and coordination come together in the pursuit of mastering handstand mechanics. One of the most critical foundations is internal rotation at the hip joints, which can aid with certain entries and sustained holds. Matt reminds us that understanding the role of the pelvis is key.  Inverting means flipping biomechanics upside down. Just as we relax our shoulders downward when standing, in a handstand we lift them toward the ears, activating upward rotation of the scapula. That means the bottom tips of the shoulder blades rotate upward, while the inner edges slide down. We want a solid, vertical stack, from hands to hips. This is what keeps us aligned, centered, and stable.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

2025: 10 DAY HANDSTAND COHORT

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Safe, systematic, and effective
  • 10-day training plan with guided daily tutorials
  • 2 livestream workshops On-demand Replays
  • Learn the most anatomically aligned and efficient handstand
  • Acrobatic training skills made easy and accessible for regular people
  • All-levels appropriate
  • Build YOUR handstand, honoring your body and its unique strengths and challenges
  • No experience required
  • Variations for all levels, from 0 experience to professional hand balance

HANDSTAND L-POSE ON YOUR BACK

One of the more illuminating drills is the Handstand L-Pose while lying on the back.  It reveals the pelvis’s tendency to rotate, but being on the floor eliminates this variable. We raise one leg, arms overhead, but initiate engagement by pressing the shoulder heads down before the hands touch the floor—this keeps the “hollow armpit” activated. The palms face one another and shoulders extend forward. From here, we tuck the tailbone and press the ribcage downward into a hollow-body position. To increase the challenge, the grounded leg lifts just a centimeter off of the floor. This introduces a strong core demand, and Matt progresses the shape by bending one knee into a half tuck, a helpful intermediary between the L-shape and full vertical inversion.

WATCH THE VIDEO

HANDSTAND MECHANICS: BUILD CONTROL BEFORE ELEVATION

HANDSTAND L-POSE DRILL

This next drill places the L-Shape upright in what starts in a supported Warrior III -like position.   Lifting the heel of the standing leg, we send the shoulders toward the ears, fingers grip the ground, and we begin to rock back and forth, transferring weight from foot to hand. Matt offers these cues: ribs stay back, gaze toward the belly button, and elbows stay straight. We heighten the lifted leg only after establishing push and stability. These subtleties enhance body awareness and reinforce how vital weight transfer and shoulder activation are for going upside down. Matt’s instructions are a gentle nudge to slow down, explore each sensation, and deepen our understanding of the steps before takeoff.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

FROM HANDSTAND WORK TO HANG TIME

As we apply the cues in practice, Matt suggests using a hard surface rather than a yoga mat, since it provides stronger feedback to the hands. Hand placement, grip, and shoulder push are emphasized. We start in a tuck with one knee in toward the chest and push the ground away while jumping and switching legs. This introduces dynamic balance, requiring us to stay sharp. We don’t jump without purpose, we’re driving upward through active, rigid arms and shoulders. The more we push, the more we float. With repetition, the jumps become controlled and prolonged. This “hang time” emerges not from effort alone, but from refined technique. We counteract the body’s urge to collapse and instead amplify the push through upward scapular rotation and finger engagement.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

DELAYED TUCK

In the final progression, we begin working toward a delayed tuck. Timing becomes everything. Anticipation, repetition, and self-cueing help us bend the knees at the right moment to achieve the suspended tuck. It’s a dance between strength and surrender—releasing the rush to be airborne while trusting the mechanics we’ve trained. In Matt’s demonstration, the float occurs as he leans deeply into the hands and allows the shoulders to pass beyond the wrists, giving just the right counterbalance to delay the tuck. With patience and precision, we trade impulsive jumps for fluid, sustained motion.  Handstand mechanics become a reflection of how practice teaches us to replace force with finesse.

Uncover more drills and precision in Handstand in Matt’s online 2025 – 10 Day Handstand Cohort.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Aligned Vinyasa Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Support

Build Better Joint Supportankle & kneeBUILD BETTER JOINT SUPPORT Sometimes we focus so heavily on flexibility that we forget our joints also need intelligent strength surrounding them. Matt reminds us that stability is not rigidity. It is the body’s ability to...

read more
Hamstring Strength Options

Hamstring Strength Options

Hamstring Strength Optionship extensorsHAMSTRING STRENGTH OPTIONS When we think about hamstrings in yoga, most of us immediately think about stretching. Matt reminds us that this powerful muscle group is rarely celebrated for what it is also designed to do: create...

read more
Weightless Inversions

Weightless Inversions

Weightless InversionssirsasanaWEIGHTLESS INVERSIONS Weightless inversions are not about removing effort. They are about redistributing it with awareness. Matt reminds us that when we refine how we place weight through the hands, shoulders, and core, the body begins to...

read more
Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart Chakra

Opening The Heart ChakrabackbendOPENING THE HEART CHAKRA Opening the heart chakra is not simply about reaching deeper into a backbend. Matt reminds us that this space is rooted in love, balance, and connection, both with ourselves and with others. It reflects how we...

read more
5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga Teachers

5 Visual Demonstration Techniques for Yoga TeachersYoga TeachersVisual Demonstration This is often confused with “teaching from the mat.” Teaching at the front of the room can be useful at the right time and place, but that is not what we are referring to here. In...

read more
Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

Awakening Solar Plexus Strength

Awakening Solar Plexus Strengththird chakraAWAKENING SOLAR PLEXUS STRENGTH Awakening solar plexus strength invites us into the centre of transformation. Matt reminds us that this third chakra, Manipura, is our fire, our willpower, and our ability to take action. It...

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Inversion Journey

Inversion Journey

adho mukha vrksasana

INVERSION JOURNEY

In the previous blog, Inversion Success: Alignment, Drills & Preparation,  I talked about how Matt provides the education and keys to building a solid foundation to execute handstands.  What we must understand is that our inversion journey continues.  Building upon the foundation and continuing to practice and refine never ends.  We are either working to maintain and/or build the musculature, strength, balance, and flexibility to fulfill what’s required of a straight handstand.  If we’re ready to put in the work and build upon what we’ve already established as a good base, then the drills and skills Matt demonstrates today will only take our inversion journey further and amplify our experience and ability.

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DOWNWARD DOG PUSH UPS

Downward Dog Push Ups check off so many things on the list of what’s required for handstand development.  In our inversion journey, it’s going to help to build upper body strength, more specifically in the shoulders, triceps, and forearms.

Matt demonstrates 2 variations in today’s video.  In the first, we are in a more “traditional” Downward Dog position (both feet on the ground) and in the second, we are in a Three Legged Dog position which increases the weight of the movement.

The unique thing about both variations is that it’s what we do through the wrists and the hands that intensifies this drill. When returning to a lengthened position from bent elbows, we lift the heel of the hands, then the head of the metacarpals, finally coming up to the fingertips.  At the top of the movement elbows are straight and shoulders are up towards the ears.

WATCH THE VIDEO

INVERSION JOURNEY: MASTERING ELEVATED HANDSTAND DRILLS

HOLLOW BODY HOPS

Hollow Body Hops are a great building block that can be implemented as an extension from Matt’s Handstand Prep position #1.  What we improve upon here is our ability to shift our weight more into the hands and away from our feet and hips.  In fact, we pop off of the feet and start to create a longer hold of balanced weight into the hands.

Here, we place our hands more forward than we would in Handstand Prep #1.  Instead of just lifting the heels we do a slight hop off of the feet to propel ourselves more forward in order to bring the feet closer between the hands once again.

In the video Matt demonstrates how to go both forward and backwards in these hops.

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TUCK SWITCH & KICK SWITCH

Tuck Switch

Here we build upon Handstand Prep position #3.  Again, it’s more dynamic.  We are tucking one knee into the chest.  We continue to practice the shift of the weight into the hands while alternating the tuck into the chest of each leg.  Within this drill too, we can take a step back from the more active tuck switch by creating a smaller, slower switch of the feet.  Alternatively, just like the Hollow Body Hops, we can practice a longer hold.

Kick Switch

In Handstand Prep position #2, Matt teaches us how to set up an “L” shape in Handstand.  Just like the tuck switches, we are jumping off of one leg and landing with the other.  Instead of the tuck, both legs are extended in a lengthened position.

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    MASTERING GOING FORWARD

    Mastering going forward is not only a neurological pattern we must etch into our bodies to create the physical shift of moving the weight out of our feet and into our hands in order to get upside down, but it’s also a mindset that can test us.

    One of the best ways to refine our ability to master going forward into the hands is to utilize blocks.  In the video, Matt demonstrates the kick switches with blocks at his forearms.  Immediately we see how this positively impacts the alignment of the forearms, but also the domino effect of how it helps us to more effortlessly lift off of the feet.

    As we move along in our inversion journey we must also master the mindset to go forward due to the frustration we can experience when we “hit a wall” (pun intended).  There is always an access point and a skill we can build to move onto the next step.

    If you want to access the plethora of knowledge, drills, and techniques Matt shares in his classes, it’s not too late to register for his current 10 class online immersion: Handstand and Arm Balances.

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    Article by Trish Curling

    Video Extracted From: 10 Day Handstand Program

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