Yoga Handstand

Yoga Handstand: Step-by-Step Instructions

Think of Handstand as an upside-down Mountain Pose. This posture provides exceptional relief to the back after backbends.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

(Pronounced as "ah-doh moo-kah vrick-SHAHS-anna")

The name of this pose comes from three different Sanskrit words: Adho is "Downward," mukha is "facing," and vrksha is "tree." Literally translated as the "downward-facing tree pose," the goal is to maintain the strength and stability of a tree while balancing only on your hands.

It is generally best to wait until you feel comfortable holding Dolphin Pose for about one minute before attempting Handstand. The handstand requires preparatory training of the arms and core muscles to maintain your balance.

Aspect	Details
Sanskrit Name	Adho Mukha Vrksasana
Translation	Downward-Facing Tree Pose
Prerequisite	Hold Dolphin Pose for ~1 minute comfortably
Key Focus	Arm and core strength, balance

How to do a Yoga Handstand

Step	Key Action
Step 1	Place palms one foot from wall, enter Downward Dog
Step 2	Kick up with one leg, raise both legs against wall
Step 3	Practice hopping or use gymnastics-style entry
Step 4	Avoid arching lower back; pull ribs toward spine
Step 5	Hold up to one minute; alternate leading legs

Step One

Place your palms on the floor one foot away from a wall. Spread your fingers wide. Your hands should be the same distance apart as the distance between your shoulders.

Straighten your arms and walk your feet back into Adho Mukha Shvanasana, or Downward Dog Pose.

Step Two

Step one foot a little closer to the wall. This foot will act as your spring to kick up. Take a breath. On your exhalation, push up hard on your springing leg to lift both legs up and raise them against the wall in front of you.

Only your heels should rest on the wall. Your arms stay straight beneath you. Straighten your legs and lengthen them toward the ceiling, tucking your tailbone in.

Step Three

You can practice hopping and kicking your legs up a few times. If you feel strong enough to do the pose but have trouble getting your legs over your head, try coming into the pose in gymnastics style.

Stand up straight and tall, lifting your arms up high in the air. Then arch your back, look up, and in one fluid motion, bounce forward as if you would do a flip, placing your hands on the floor one foot in front of the wall. Keep your legs straight after kicking up.

The momentum of your hands falling down onto the floor will help you kick and launch your legs up over your head onto the wall.

Step Four

Once you are in the Handstand, avoid arching your lower back too much. Pull your front ribs in closer to your spine and push your heels further up the wall.

Step Five

Stay in the pose for as long as you can. Breathe normally. Eventually, you can increase the duration up to one minute. Take one foot down at a time on your exhalation. Make sure not to kick up with the same leg leading every time. If you kick up with the right leg leading today, kick up with the left leg leading tomorrow.

Beginner's Tip:

Handstand Pose Information

Detail	Information
Sanskrit Name	Adho Mukha Vrksasana
Pose Level	Level 2 (Intermediate)
Primary Focus	Shoulders, arms, wrists, core
Cautions	Back/shoulder/neck injuries, blood pressure issues, menstruation, pregnancy

Sanskrit Name:

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Pose Level:

Level 2

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Recent back, shoulder, or neck injuries.

• Irregular blood pressure or heart conditions.

• Do not practice during menstruation.

• For pregnancy: Do not practice without seeking the advice of an experienced yoga teacher first. They must consider your personal medical history and yoga experience before recommending whether or not you practice this posture.

Modifications and Props:

If you do not yet have the confidence or strength to do a full Handstand, you can use a chair to do an easier Half-Handstand. This variation builds up your strength.

Brace a chair against the wall. Kneel on the seat of the chair, face away from the wall, and put your hands on the floor while keeping your legs on the chair. Your hands need to stay under your shoulders. Now walk your hands forward until only the tops of your feet are on the seat of the chair and your arms are perpendicular to the floor.

Hold this position as long as you can, keeping your legs straight, arms straight, and abdominal muscles firm. You may also practice lifting one leg off of the chair seat at a time and balancing to develop a feel for balancing on your hands.

Deepen the Pose:

In the beginning, you may feel more comfortable letting your head hang straight down. However, it is better to try gradually raising your head a little to look at the floor between your hands.

Do not cramp your neck to make this movement. Instead, push your shoulder blades in and arch your back more to lift the head. You can brace the crown of your head against the wall in front of you if necessary. Then practice moving one heel away from the wall at a time until you can balance with both heels off of the wall.

Benefits

Benefit	Description
Upper Body Strength	Builds strength in shoulders, arms, and wrists
Posture Improvement	Expands the chest and improves overall posture
Back Relief	Relieves pain in the lower back after backbends
Nervous System Balance	Promotes balance of the nervous system and healthy blood circulation
Core Engagement	Strengthens deep core stabilizer muscles
Bone Health	Weight-bearing on wrists and arms supports bone density

• Builds strength in your shoulders, arms, and wrists

• Expands the chest and improves posture

• Relieves pain in the lower back after backbends

• Promotes balance of the nervous system and healthy blood circulation throughout the body

• Strengthens deep core stabilizer muscles essential for full-body coordination

• Supports bone density through weight-bearing on the wrists and arms

Handstand Variations

Variation	Hand Position	Purpose
External Rotation	Fingers pointing outward (right hand right, left hand left)	Easier to learn shoulder rotation
Inverted Hands	Wrists facing wall, fingers pointing toward you	Builds wrist strength and flexibility
Standard	Fingers pointing forward, shoulder-width apart	Default alignment for balance

Once you have developed some confidence in the handstand, try it while placing your hands in different positions on the yoga mat.

For example, rotating your shoulders away from each other is easier to learn when you turn your hands on the mat so that your right fingers point to the right side, and your left fingers point to the left. Your wrists face each other. Keep the palms of your hands directly under your shoulders as you kick up into the Handstand.

To build strength in your wrists, you can also turn your hands so that your wrists face the supporting wall in front of you and your fingers point toward you. Then kick up to balance on your inverted hands.

Handstand Partnering

Partner Role	Action
Catch	Stand in front and catch the practitioner's heels in the air
Align	Steady knees and heels directly above the practitioner's shoulders
Lengthen	Gently pull heels upward while practitioner tucks tailbone
Release	Gradually let go to allow independent balancing

To learn how to lengthen the spine upward properly and gain the confidence to balance, ask a partner to stand in front of you as your living "support wall."

Place your hands down on the mat in front of their feet and kick up. They will catch your heels in the air. Then your partner can first steady your knees directly above your shoulders, and then adjust your heels to support them above your shoulders as well. They can also slightly pull your heels straight up as you tuck your tailbone in and feel how to extend your spine.

If you are confident, they can gradually let go and let you balance on your own.