What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than learning how to do a handstand! Plenty of things you might say to me but honestly, try it! It is really fun!
Since becoming a yoga teacher I have to say that I don’t have as much time for my own practice and to go to classes as I’d like to. I do have two little ones (and a husband) to look after so have to choose my yoga adventures carefully!
The two-hour handstand workshop with Tracey Mansell was definitely not one that I would say no to, however, so I grabbed my yoga teacher friend Jacqui and we went along to Tracey’s workshop at Bounce in Wimbledon.
One thing you should know about Tracey is that she is ridiculously strong! Her Instagram account is one of my favourites and I love watching her handstand training and all the amazing things she can do. She is so beautiful, strong and graceful and without even knowing her well I can tell she is very determined!
We kicked off the workshop by a warm up which made me realise pretty quickly that this was not a yoga work shop! This was a strength building, conditioning, (sometimes torturing), handstanding work-shop! We hopped, we lunged, we ran, we kicked, we worked our abs, arms and shoulders… And that was just the warm-up!
Then we started the real challenge which was actually doing a handstand!
We worked together in pairs to keep us safe and build our confidence. It was really lovely to be reunited with my teacher training buddy Jacqui and learn some new techniques together! I definitely have a lot to learn before I will ever be able to press up gracefully into a handstand or even hold it for longer than a second but really enjoying the journey!
For me as a teacher it was also really useful to spot someone else and help them with their technique. I’ve also learned some lovely new shoulder stretches which I will be practising!
Tracey is a great teacher and very passionate about handstands and her training. Honestly, there is nobody better to learn it from as she is lovely and down to earth, very knowledgeable, extremely inspiring and has a great sense of humour. And of course really good at doing handstands!
I will definitely be back for more handstand adventures…
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This sounds like an awesome Saturday to me! I also have something similar planned in August and I absolutely can’t wait. Kerri Verna (if you know her Instagram account @beachyogagirl) is giving 3 workshops in London and I booked the entire weekend.
Oh amazing! Thanks for letting me know! Will definitely try to make it for one of them!
I’ve never been able to do a handstand as yet, it’s a fab idea to work in pairs to build confidence and help spot each other – I’ll have to try that.
Great idea to do. I used to be really supple when younger and was always doing handstands and cartwheels and now my son keeps doing them and asking me to do with him so good exercise