handstand Archives - THEYOGIMATT

Double Stag Handstand

by Trisha Curling | Apr 18, 2024 | Main Page Display

Double Stag Handstand

balance

DOUBLE STAG HANDSTAND

Cultivating confidence is a non-negotiable when it comes to implementing a handstand practice. If handstands seem insurmountable even to consider, don’t fret; there might be an easier option. Easier? Really? Yes!

Ok, from appearances alone, this option may still appear inconceivable, but the “easier option” of Double Stag Handstand may be that variation of an inversion that offers us the fortitude to continue on the journey towards Straight-Back Handstand.

Of course, we are all individuals, so the opposite may be true for any one of us. If we’re in a position where neither Double Stag Handstand nor Straight-Back are a part of our practice, today’s video will outline some reasons why exploring this option first may be our ticket to success in ultimately conquering both variations over time.

In addition, understanding that Double Stag Handstand incorporates more of a backbend position than Straight-Back will keep us on the right track.

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SHOULDER PREPARATION

One of the most valuable lessons we learn along the track of preparing for an ambitious posture like Double Stag Handstand is how to dial back and prepare appropriately.

Here are 2 ways to prepare the shoulders:

Child’s Pose

Matt’s demonstration in the video outlines the importance of lifting the armpits up to make sure that the head of the humerus isn’t pinching into the acromion process, a bony projection on the shoulder blade. This will help to reduce the possibility of shoulder impingement.

Anahatasana Against a Wall

We can progress this patterning in our bodies by practicing the lift of the armpits at a wall in Anahatasana. In both Child’s Pose and Anahatasana, it can be common to drop into the posture by allowing the chest to fall through without lifting the armpits and activating the muscles of the shoulders, but it’s imperative that we strengthen the shoulder muscles before attempting to go upside down.

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DOUBLE STAG HANDSTAND: IS IT EASIER THAN A STRAIGHT-BACK HANDSTAND?

GROUNDWORK FOR THE LEGS AND SPINE

The chest moving ahead of the arms is important for the backbend quality Double Stag Handstand requires, but we also need to create the increased flexibility for deeper extension in the hips and spine.

Here are 2 variations of Low Lunge:

Low Lunge With a Side Bend

When practicing with Matt, we become very familiar with drawing the feet towards one another in postures like Low Lunge. This action creates a facilitated stretch. The strengthening aspect of this technique results in increased flexibility. The additional side bend and backbend encourage the lengthening required for the spine, even though the amount of backbend in Double Stag Handstand is not as extensive as in some other heart openers.

Anjaneyasana Preparation With Cactus Arms

Here, we develop the use of the transversus abdominis while training the backbend. In the video, you’ll see how Matt teaches us how to avoid compression in the spine.

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3 POSTURES TO FURTHER THE FOUNDATION

Double Stag Legs in Shoulderstand

This is a nice way to practice the positioning of the legs for the counterbalance in Double Stag Handstand. This counterbalance is arguably why it may be easier to access the ability to balance in a handstand.

Double Stag Headstand

Here’s where we start to put a few of the foundations to the test. In the video, Matt emphasizes that keeping the leg that is on the same side as the front body a little lower will help to maintain a more optimal pelvic position. The strengthening of hip flexion and extension is valuable in this negotiation of balance.

Double Stag Forearm Stand

There’s a short demonstration in the video of this variation. This option is potentially more challenging due to the “tightness” required in the shoulders and the increased requirement of activation in the body for balance.

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STRAIGHT-BACK VERSUS STAG HANDSTAND

Last week’s blog delves into the position of the pelvis for Straight-Back Handstand (posterior tilt). Due to the backbend quality of Double Stag Handstand, the opposite is true (anterior tilt of the pelvis). The positioning of the legs in Double Stag offers a broader body shape for counter balance and therefore more room for play and negotiation. Attempting to stay completely vertical in Straight-Back leaves us more vulnerable to favouring a lean to one side and potentially losing balance more easily. No matter what, it still comes down to our own individual experience.

Preparation for Double Stag may not be glamorous, but that’s not what it’s about. What’s truly glamorous are the benefits of a deeper understanding of our bodies and the strength and longevity we foster.

You can still register to embark on a journey of a deeper understanding of your body and its potential in Matt’s 10-Day Handstand Program.

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Videos Extracted From: Inversion Immersion

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Accelerated Handstand Development

by Trisha Curling | Apr 11, 2024 | Main Page Display

Accelerated Handstand Development

inversion

ACCELERATED HANDSTAND DEVELOPMENT

Accelerating the process of achieving a goal comes from consistent practice, but it also depends heavily on the information and knowledge we’ve acquired.

Whether a handstand is part of our regular asana practice or not, there is always room for improvement. Learning and understanding the intricate skill sets are imperative. These are the things that will expedite our development. This doesn’t mean that it will happen fast but that we are equipped with more knowledge to apply to our physical practice, which will enhance our results.

There are a number of different areas for improvement when it comes to a better handstand, and one that might be overlooked is pelvic alignment. The drills and skills from today’s video provide the roadmap towards the final destination of a well-balanced handstand (pun intended lol).

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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 balancers
BONUS: Zoom meeting (available to waitlist members only for the first 24 hours of registration opening): On Day 3, we will meet on Zoom for group coaching and personalized feedback!
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PELVIC ALIGNMENT TENDENCIES

In an upright position, knowing the difference between anterior and posterior tilt of the pelvis may be easier to negotiate. At other times, it may be harder to determine. In the full class, Matt explains that many of us have the tendency to posteriorly tilt the pelvis when standing, which may be because we are trying to find the least amount of energy exertion by placing more weight into the hip joints.

The opposite is true when upside down in a handstand. Here, the tendency may be to anteriorly tilt the pelvis (especially if there is a wall behind us). We might feel that the safer place to be is behind us, so the hips move in that direction. This tendency does not serve us in a balanced handstand away from a wall. In this case, the posterior tilt of the pelvis is a must.

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ACCELERATED HANDSTAND DEVELOPMENT: POLISHING PELVIC ALIGNMENT

SPHINX TO HOLLOW BODY & CRESENT POSE

To find balance in a handstand off the wall, we must polish our pelvic alignment. We don’t start by trying this in handstand; first, we must strengthen and train the appropriate muscles in other postures and drills. In today’s video, Matt begins by demonstrating 2 ways to implement this strengthening and training in our regular practice.

Sphinx to Hollow Body

In this demonstration, we are guided through 4 phases. It is a very slow and controlled process that not only strengthens the core and upper body, it also helps us understand how to effectively isolate and articulate the movements of the rib cage and pelvis.

Crescent Pose

Here we really learn to train and develop the tucking of the tailbone—the posterior tilt of the pelvis—against straightening and lengthening the back leg. When doing this, we’re activating the quadricep and gluteal muscles at the same time. This will translate well when transitioning upside down.

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HANDSTAND WALL DRILLS

Included in the process of handstand development is the practicing of pelvic alignment when we’re inverted in the context of drills. The handstand drills in today’s video are done against a wall. They provide the opportunity to place our feet on the wall in order to focus on the placement of the pelvis into a posterior-tilt position.

First, without any props, we gain the understanding of how important it is to push through the shoulders to initiate greater movement of the rib cage back, which initiates the desired “straight stacking” of the body. When the action of the posterior tilt takes place, our feet become lighter.
This is the same drill with the use of a chair, which can assist by offering more control to get upright. The exit here can also assist in practicing a safer exit when we start practicing away from a wall.

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PROCESS & TRANSFORMATION

We can never escape going through the processes our bodies need when we’re working towards a given yoga posture, and those processes are always individual. The muscles we need to train, the techniques we need to develop, and the knowledge we need to acquire will vary at different times throughout the process.

Matt always says that a posture like a handstand is evidence that we have tapped into increased mastery of the understanding of our own bodies. This is the true gift of the process on the journey towards transformation, not achievement.

Matt’s 10-Day Handstand Program works to systematically expose our greatest potential.

Transform your relationship with handstand by registering today!

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Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Handstand & Meditation Immersion

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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
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Air Line Activation

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

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Headstand and Forearm Stand

by Trisha Curling | Jan 4, 2024 | Main Page Display

Headstand and Forearm Stand

Master This Imperative Shoulder Action

scapula elevation

HEADSTAND AND FOREARM STAND

Getting straight to the point, the imperative shoulder action in Headstand and Forearm Stand is elevation of the scapulae. This is the best way to fully participate in developing your potential in these postures. It may seem like a simple action, but it’s important to understand the broader scope of what’s involved. More than just lifting your shoulders up towards your ears, it’s the activation of muscles like the upper trapezius, serratus anterior, and the triceps, along with freedom in the neck, that help support this action. In today’s video, Matt outlines a number of drills that will assist you in finding the appropriate amount of activation and strength to achieve balance, stability, and freedom in Headstand and Forearm Stand.

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DOWNWARD DOG–DOLPHIN DRILL

This first drill can be approached in two different ways:

The first approach to this Headstand drill starts in a shorter Downward-Facing Dog in which your body is still in a diagonal position. You then proceed to play with movement between moving your head gently down towards the ground, which requires a softening in the shoulders, and pushing the floor away with your forearms, creating more elevation of the scapulae and pushing your body back. Matt reminds you not to move back to a point where you feel pain in your shoulders as a result of greater compression in the joint.
In the second approach, you’ll walk your feet in to become more vertical (closer to Headstand or Forearm Stand position). It’s important to note the slow lowering of your head towards the ground in order to build greater strength in the elevators of the scapulae.

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HEADSTAND AND FOREARM STAND: MASTER THIS IMPERATIVE SHOULDER ACTION

HEADSTAND PREPARATION

It may be simpler to understand why elevation of the scapulae is important in Forearm Stand: The goal there is to take your head completely off of the ground. Why is elevation of the scapulae also imperative in Headstand? Well, implementing this action will reduce pressure on your cervical spine, that is, in the neck.

If you are going forward with this exploration, then you will feel some weight in your head in the starting position (feet down). To reduce this weight, Matt advises you to take your gaze towards your belly button to get longer in the back of your neck and/or to take the opportunity to strengthen your serratus muscles, along with the trapezius, by pushing the floor away to the degree that allows you to lift your head further away from the ground. This movement may be slight or moving more towards Forearm Stand.

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FOREARM STAND DRILLS

Once you’ve explored some of the added layers in Headstand from the video, you can move on to explore your potential in Forearm Stand. This of course requires increased elevation of the scapulae in order to lift your head off the ground.

This time, start with your head completely off the ground. Proceed by lifting one leg up at a time. If you’re close to a wall, like Matt is in the video, you’ll see how he demonstrates a controlled hop.

Now, if you’re looking for a bit more, you’ll see Matt’s demonstration utilizing a chair in the video. This can be more intense, but what Matt explains is that it’s helpful to remove the balance element from the drill because you can work on strengthening and deepening the connection to the awareness of the range required in the scapulae in order to lift.

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PROTECT YOUR NECK

Keep in mind, the best choice to avoid injury or the aggravation of any known discomfort in your neck is to stay away from Headstand completely. However, what’s offered in the video tutorial, assuming it’s safe for you to explore, are ways to intelligently approach the practice of Headstand and Forearm Stand with a deeper understanding of how to prepare your body. The drills teach you how to build strength and mobility concurrently. You’ll learn how to strengthen muscles like the trapezius, serratus anterior, and stabilizers of the neck, but the basis for this strengthening comes from the important action of elevating your scapulae. This action is the catalyst for unlocking your potential in these inversions.

Register today for The Shoulder Reset, a 2-hour livestream workshop on January 28th, where Matt will dive into technique, anatomy, and the biomechanics of the shoulder joint.

See you on the mat!

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

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Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Shoulder Mobility Immersion

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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

TELL ME MORE!

Continue Learning

Air Line Activation

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

All Videos

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Inversion Drills

by Trisha Curling | Oct 18, 2023 | Main Page Display

Inversion Drills

Conquer Fear Through Technique

SIRSASANA

INVERSION DRILLS

Are you the type of person who avoids inversions altogether, or do you eagerly await the option in your yoga classes?

Matt infuses Chromatic yoga with the philosophies of ancient Tantric yoga to help you acquire a more in-depth understanding of your own thought processes, decision-making, and patterns. One of the ways you can more closely connect to the reason for either a fear (resistance) or an attachment (attraction) regarding inversions is through the conditioning (samskaras) you have about your ability to achieve inversions. This is why the Chromatic approach is always systematic—you’re encouraged to take incremental steps towards your desired actions and new patterning. Utilizing the inversion drills from today’s video is a step towards understanding your relationship with fear and learning about how technique can quiet your resistance towards them.

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IS FEAR WORKING FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU?

Feling fear about inversions or even inversion drills doesn’t mean that something is wrong with you. You’re not required to change your feelings about them just to work them into your asana practice. That’s not what understanding your relationship to fear means. Fear may be what protects you. You may have an injury or condition that may amplify if you don’t use your good judgment and stay away from inversions. In the full class, Matt discusses how fear is a kind of protective mechanism. It can help you to sort through whether or not the fear is valid. The thing is, it’s up to you to decide if working beyond it will create positive transformation, like confidence and strength, or if it might be more damaging. It’s quite alright to fear something and make a decision not to engage in that particular thing.

THE 5 KLESHAS

How does this relate to the Yoga Sutras? In Tantra of the Yoga Sutras, author Alan Finger states the following:

“The five kleshas are what cause the mind to become engrossed in the belief patterns that create mental disequilibrium and psychological distress.”

Here are the 5 kleshas:

Avidya: Ignorance
Asmita: Ego
Raga: Attachment
Dvesha: Aversion
Abhinivesha: Fear of Death

Finger, Alan. Tantra of the Yoga Sutras. Pg. 42 (Yoga Sutra 2.3)

In this particular class, Matt points to raga and dvesha in relation to inversions and inversion drills. Raga here means that you are keen to practice inversions because, for example, they are familiar, or you already feel confident practicing them. Dvesha, being the opposite, may come from your fear or lack of confidence in your ability.

WATCH THE VIDEO

INVERSION DRILLS: CONQUER THE FEAR THROUGH TECHNIQUE

HEADSTAND DRILLS

Once you look at inversions through the lens of raga and dvesha, Matt explains that there are 2 next steps to follow:

Become aware of what you avoid and attach to.
Practice taking action in the direction of what is appropriate for you.

In headstands, there may already be aspects you are comfortable with. If it’s appropriate for you to move forward, Matt offers techniques that will strengthen your confidence.

First, he makes a connection to Handstand by pointing out that whether you are practicing on your head or your hands, the same principle applies: lean and resist. You lean forward to go upright, but then you must resist to prevent yourself from falling. There are muscle engagements that will help you to find your balance. In the headstand inversion drills, pressing your head back into your hands while pressing your fists and forearms into the ground will allow your neck muscles to become your brakes.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

HANDSTAND DRILLS

In handstands, one of the prominent activations comes from the forearms; this is done by gripping the ground. As in the inversion drills for Headstand, you can make use of other props to find better access to “lean and resist.” Keep in mind that it’s not all about strength. Hamstring flexibility supports your ability to go upright. In these inversion drills, Matt makes great use of blocks and a chair as a way to minimize the amount of hamstring flexibility that is required.

These tools play a role in the incremental steps he’s talking about. The props are used as a way to mitigate fear. You also become deeply immersed in technique, which creates a rise in ability and confidence. In the video, you’ll see the attention placed on things like the articulation of your feet, your pelvis, and even your distance from the wall. These are important specifics that will transform your experience.

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
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

LEARN MORE!

LISTEN TO THE FEAR

Fear has a loud voice. What you do with it will determine your path. That voice can push you away from something magical that’s waiting for you, or it can provide you with better connection to your own discernment. If the message is to take action, to conquer that fear, then reverse engineer your steps. In your yoga practice, lock into the techniques that quiet the voice of fear and strengthen your ability. If your focus and awareness are placed on those actions rather than the fear, you’ve already conquered it. The better choice may be to not engage, and this is also a powerful option. Either way, you are more confident in your decision-making and your ability to select what’s right for you. Take action to find the right path by registering for Matt’s 15-Hour Chromatic Yoga Immersion.

See you on the mat!

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

Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

← See Previous Story See Next Story →

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

TELL ME MORE!

Continue Learning

Air Line Activation

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

All Videos

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

L Pose Handstand Training

by Trisha Curling | Sep 22, 2022 | Main Page Display

L Pose Handstand Training

Activate Core and Hip Flexors

handstand prep

L POSE HANDSTAND TRAINING

We’re all aware of the importance of taking baby steps when we have a bigger goal we’d like to achieve. L Pose Handstand training falls under that category when it comes to taking steps towards Handstand. Matt refers to L Pose as the “first entrance to handstand.” Before you take flight, practicing L Pose in different planes is one of the best ways to really prepare and understand the biomechanics involved in the posture. Practicing L Pose on your back provides a more controlled opportunity to learn how to really engage the hip flexors and core muscles.

Handstand and meditation online yoga classes

HANDSTAND & MEDITATION

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BREAK THROUGH MENTAL & PHYSICAL BLOCKS

Learn the most effective drills to safely build your Handstand
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Build strength and the necessary skills for balancing Handstand
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Attend livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

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THE MYTH OF THE CORE

Core strength might be the first thing you believe you need to develop while preparing for Handstand. Matt explains that there’s no doubt that this is a necessary part of the equation, but if you’ve conquered the action of the “push” in the shoulders (shoulders up towards your ears), the use of the core is a refinement only when the shoulders are out of alignment. If this is the case, you’ll have to utilize your core a lot more to keep your back straight and possibly pull the legs from behind you.

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CORE MUSCLES & HIP FLEXOR ACTIVATION

What is the core? The core muscles are a great deal more than the superficial muscles of the rectus abdominis. In terms of Handstand, a large part of the focus is the deeper core muscles (the psoas major and the iliacus, also referred to as the iliopsoas). These muscles are a key component when it comes to stabilizing the pelvis and thighs in a handstand. With L Pose as the first entrance to handstand, an awareness of the importance of the activation of the hip flexors is paramount.

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200 Hour Training

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300 HOUR TRAINING

IMPLEMENT THESE ACTIONS: L POSE ON YOUR BACK

Here are the cues for L Pose Handstand on your back:

Take your arms overhead (be sure to actively lift your shoulders up towards your ears)
Straighten your knee as you pull one leg closer to your chest. It’s the strength of the hip flexors that will help you bring this leg in as close as possible
The opposite leg stays close to the floor, with your heel only about 1 cm from the ground
Pull your front ribs down (this will engage your abdominals)
Continue to pull the top leg close to your chest without lifting the bottom leg up

The desired outcome is to maintain all of these actions simultaneously. L Pose Handstand training on your back lays the foundation for when you’re ready to explore the shape in other planes (including other postures, like Warrior III). It also helps you to feel the alignment in your body. Drawing your rib cage into the floor, for example, creates the pattern of the stacking required above your pelvis.

STRENGTH

ONLINE YOGA IMMERSION

Yoga for Strength: Strengthen Your Weaknesses • Maximize Your Physical Potential

12 classes: Each class targets a specific muscle group
Strengthen your core, back, hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, legs, and arms
Learn creative ways to strength train within the context of a yoga practice
Increase mobility by balancing your strength with oppositional muscle groups
Joyful accountability to help you reach your practice goals

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THE GROUNDWORK

Groundwork? In this case, the pun is intended. L Pose Handstand training literally has you on the ground in order to lay a solid foundation. Essentially, it can take the fear out of the equation—going upside down can be quite intimidating. Approaching the “bigger goal” of having a handstand practice by utilizing bite-size drills and techniques can give you the confidence to progress to the next level. You have to crawl before you can walk, and this is essentially the Chromatic way. When you take this approach, you gradually build upon each layer and strengthen the neuromuscular connection. Handstand training becomes more approachable when you prepare your body via time, patience, and effort. If you’d like to build on this foundation, take action by registering for Matt’s immersion Handstand & Meditation.

See you on the mat!

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Handstand & Meditation Immersion