How To Do A Headstand


How to (Safely) Teach Anyone to Do A Headstand

By Erin Motz
I’ve taught hundreds of people to get into a headstand, and their success had nothing to do with their size, shape, age, fear, upper body strength, or balancing skills. I think headstand is particularly exhilarating, because it’s very often the first “real” inversion someone accomplishes. These two tips will save anyone struggling with sticking this pose:

The Book Rule. If you opened a book and tried to make it stand upright, how would it look? Your headstand’s foundation should look the same. Shoulders over the elbows with the hands clasped. If your elbows are too far apart, you’ll fall forward or back, and the same would happen if they were pulled in too close to each other - it’d be impossible to keep your balance. Back to your book image: if you spread the ends too far apart, it’ll tip over, right? Same goes for your body!

The “L” Rule. Make an “L” with your right hand using the index finger and thumb. Bring your thumb to your nose and stretch your index finger to your scalp and move it as far back as it’ll go without moving your thumb. Wherever the index finger stops is about where the pressure should be when you’re balancing.

So, now you have your solid foundation, and you know where the pressure will be applied. Find a wall you can come up against. Snuggle the head down, pop the hips up like you’re doing a downward dog, and walk the feet towards the face until it feels like you’re about to tip over. Stop here, and try lifting one leg, and then the other. There’s no kicking in headstand.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Ways Your Pumpkin Can Make You Prettier

Image
Pumpkins are more than a delicious flavor for lattes and baked goods. They're packed with vitamins and antioxidants that nourish your skin, body, and hair—making the seasonally appropriate squash just the ingredient your fall beauty DIY needs. Get your pumpkin fix, minus the calories, with these recipes. Click through to see four pumpkin-inspired DIYs for your hair, skin, and body. 1  of  4 1. It Can Give You Shinier Hair PHOTO:  Hello Natural Pumpkin is rich in potassium and vitamin A, making it especially great for restoring damaged, dry hair (especially when it’s combined with ultra-moisturizing honey). You'll need: 2 cups cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon unflavored yogurt  Puree the pumpkin and yogurt, then mix in the coconut oil and honey. Evenly cover your hair from roots to ends, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse out the mixture, and then shampoo to ensure no residue is left.  2  of  4 2. I
Read more

How Air Pollution Is Damaging Your Health

Image
Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances
Read more

Most Popular Anti-Aging Skin Care Ingredients

Image
Now I look for these ingredients in my skincare to test and review. They are very important for great skin. And I have learned so much about ingredients and what to look for in a great product. This is a list so you can understand the ingredients to look for. Watch for my reviews and you will see all these ingredients are in the products I test. Anti-aging skin care…it seems as though every magazine you read or every site you go to on the Internet is talking about it. After all, isn’t that why you came to my blog? Today, there are some “hot” product ingredients that you will hear mentioned, but what do they actually do? I have put together some of the more popular ingredients below so you can be a bit more informed as you read down the product labels of your favorite anti-aging skin care products. • Alpha Hydroxy Acid  – this ingredient is very popular in products offering exfoliation and/or chemical peels. These acids can be natural or synthetic and are very potent. In fact,
Read more