This is Bonnie demonstrating handstand for us. While she is an obviously strong woman, you really don’t need to be that strong to do this pose.
I’ve had many women in my yoga classes go into handstand with ease. Kicking up into the pose is the hardest part, but you’ll get better at it with just a little practice.
Start with your hands six to twelve inches from the wall. Further away is easier is some ways, especially when you start out. Eventually you’ll want to be six or fewer inches away.
Have your hands about shoulder width or more apart. You can see that Bonnie has hers just a little wider. Too far and you may not have the strength to stay upright. Closer like Bonnie and you will have alignment to hold up up rather than strength.
Your feet will be behind you with one closer to you than the other. The close one is the leg that will kick you up into handstand, while the back leg will be the first to go up.
All you have to do is start kicking up into the pose. Most people start with too little kick which is perfect. Keep trying until you find the right amount of kick to get upright.
Some people kick too hard and end up crashing into the wall. This isn’t really a problem as they rarely kick hard enough to hurt themselves. The wall may be another consideration though! A solid wall is best so you don’t accidentally damage it.
An even easier way to practice is with someone lifting you into handstand. Even better is if they are experiences with teaching yoga and can catch you after you kick up and help you the rest of the way.
Once you are up you will probably need to have your feet against the wall for balance. After some practice you can gently push away from the wall to eventually find balance in your handstand.
Doing handstand can give you great confidence in your abilities. Having someone to help you out is great and eventually you will be able to easily kick up into handstand on your own.
