Kula yoga instructor Haydn spends most of his time upside down. We tracked him down to discover how getting inverted, especially with handstands, benefits the body. Here are the top seven reasons why Haydn likes to balance on his hands.
- Handstands, and all other inversions for that matter, are great for increasing circulation. Being upside down, gravity gives a fresh flow of oxygen and blood to the brain. This increases mental function and improves concentration and memory.
- Balance. The physical asana creates the space for us to improve movement patterns. Once you have mastered balancing on two feet or one, balancing on the hands is the next progression.
- Who needs coffee? Handstand and other heating inversions such as headstand and forearm balance are energisers. With more blood flowing to the brain the result is not only physical invigoration, but also mental revitalisation.
- Whether trying inversions for the first time or refining handstand postures, we are taught to remain humble. The practise of handstands in the physical asana teaches us that life is truly about the journey, not the destination.
- Once we experience our first handstand hold we build confidence by physically training the body to do something the mind once told us we could not.
- Handstand literally allows you to look at the world from a different angle. They show us that in life there may be another angle to approach from or another way of looking at things.
- FUN! Handstands are a way for us to tap back into our inner child and teach us that we don’t need to take our selves so seriously.
Join Haydn for the Inversions Workshop at Kula Yoga on Saturday, 18 June. If handstands are already a part of your practise, it’s your invitation to learn more about how to get upside down and explore variations. In addition, you’ll discover techniques to strengthen and mobilise the body before, during and after your handstand practise. For more details on the workshop and to book now, visit our website here.
See you on the mat, namaste.
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Kula Yoga has a beautiful hot yoga studio on Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne. Kula offers ‘Hot Yoga’ classes for detoxification, dynamic poweryoga ‘Flow Yoga’ as well as a gentle ‘Light Yin Yoga’ option. Beginners through to advanced students are welcome to all classes. Kula also provides prenatal & postnatal yoga classes, and provides Melbourne workplaces with group corporate yoga programs to build employee health, fitness and wellbeing, and school yoga programs. Kula also runs an annual ‘Kula Cruise’ yoga retreat sailing from Bali to Lombok & the Gili Islands. Find out more on our website www.kulayoga.com.au. Or follow us:
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