I recently achieved my very first handstand. It happened one weekend at my yoga teacher training. Handstand was one inversion pose that I never practiced in the past for a few different reasons, one simply being fear. I would always tell myself that I didn’t have the strength to hold myself up or that my wrists were too weak.
I later realized that those were just excuses and roadblocks that I created for myself. After a specialty weekend training focusing on inversions, I was able to achieve handstand multiple times and many more times since then.
So, what changed? There were a few things. I was in a safe and nurturing environment surrounded by professional teachers and supportive classmates. Then, with a great warm-up and the proper foundation points along with great instruction, I was able to achieve what I thought was the impossible. I kicked up into my first handstand.
To say that I was excited would definitely be an understatement. Being upside down literally gave me a new outlook on life. I learned to stop saying what I can’t do without exhausting all available resources and to stop placing limits on myself. I fought through the fear of falling or crashing into the wall and trusted myself to be there for me.
I never knew that achieving a handstand would make me think so deeply about my life. The benefits of yoga truly extend beyond the mat. I am really proud of myself for not giving up and learning to let go and catch the possibilities of what could be.
It’s amazing how the lessons I learned from achieving a handstand spilled over into other areas of my life, and I’m having so much fun continuing to practice the pose.
I want to encourage you to find what it would take to conquer a fear or something you want to do but don’t know how. Trust me, you will be happy that you did and you will have a great story to share.
What small event made a large impact in your life? Let us know in the comments below!
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