Handstand
Handstand is a joyful advanced pose. Build it gradually with wall drills.
- Level
- Advanced
- Family
- Inversion
- Hold
- 3–10 breaths
- Works
- Shoulders, wrists, core
- Push the floor away
Step by step
How to do Handstand
Begin Downward Dog with hands about 10 cm from a wall.
- 01
Place hands shoulder-width, a hand's length from the wall.
- 02
Walk the feet in toward the hands.
- 03
Lift one leg up.
- 04
Hop lightly off the bottom foot to bring both legs to the wall.
- 05
Press the floor away and stack shoulders over wrists.
- 06
Engage the core.
- ↩
Coming out. Lower one leg at a time and rest in Child's Pose.
Breath
Steady breathing.
Focus
Advanced arm balance
Why practise it
Builds strength and confidence.
Alignment & cues
Shoulders over wrists.
Teacher’s cues
- “Push the floor away”
Common mistakes
Kicking up too hard.
Make it yours
Every body is different. Use props and variations freely — they are not a lesser version of the pose.
Easier
L-shape at a wall.
Variations
- Free-standing handstand
Props
- Wall
Where it fits in a flow
Warm up with the poses on the left, then move into the ones on the right.
Practise with care
Safety
Avoid with wrist or shoulder injury, high blood pressure or pregnancy.
Educational guidance, not medical advice. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pinching or dizziness, and check with a qualified teacher or health professional if you are pregnant, injured or managing a health condition.
In the tradition
A modern addition to yoga practice.
Questions
How do I start learning?
L-shape at a wall: hands on the floor, feet on the wall at hip height.
More inversion poses
See the familySupported Shoulderstand
Salamba Sarvangasana
Headstand
Salamba Sirsasana