One of the things that help a ton when you work towards your freestanding handstand is to implement balancing exercises while you’re facing a wall.
Often this can be really scary, because when you are new to handstands, your perception of where you are in space gets messed up and your brain goes into fear and protection mode. This can prevent you from properly stacking your joints and learning how to balance.
Here are 3 useful tools that you can practice to increase your awareness when you’re upsidedown and build a solid handstand body map. There will be nothing standing in your way of building a beautiful freestanding handstand!
1. Learn and practice how to bail
Once your body experiences how you will land on your feet in case you fall over, you will feel a lot safer. Your brain’s job number one is to keep you safe. But the way it determines what is safe and what is a threat can be summarized in two words: PATTERN RECOGNITION. This simply means that as long as you’ve never physically experienced a safe bail-out, your brain will most likely perceive it as a threat and not let you go there. So here’s a step by step approach to how you can tackle it.
2. Practice balancing between two walls
A big part of the fear of falling comes from not having enough awareness in overbalance (when you fall towards your fingertips). Practice your handstand between two walls to become more comfortable with both tipping into over- and underbalance. The more your body gets used to being and moving through in these states, the better you’ll become at navigating them.
3. Work with a partner
If you have a hard time practicing these things on your own it can be really useful to have a partner who can spot you. That way you can practice both, falling into overbalance and bailing out in a safe way!
I hope these tips are helpful! Let me know about your experience in the comments below.
See you soon!