S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 3 - 2 Fa l l 2 0 1 7 3 3 Rebecca Papa-Adams Introduction Handstand was for a long time considered to be an extreme position with no extra benefit if compared with headstand. Then headstand was also considered to be a riskyāsana, as the neck vertebrae were heavily loaded. But recently, the handstand reappeared, with the extra benefit of not pressurizing the neck, leading to stronger arm, shoulder and back muscles and giving the brain a wealth of fresh blood and thus nutrients plus the act of balancing causes a lot of new neuronal connection to appear. This is beneficial also for practices like prānāyāma and meditation. Whether you are an inversion junkie or a total newbie to the act of balancing on your hands, this simple to follow tutorial is a safe way to overcome the major obstacle in handstand and that is the natural fear of falling. If you break down the key elements of this spectacular asana, you can build up strength and confidence to eventually produce a freestanding Handstand (adho mukha vrksāsana, viparita vrksāsana) which became a very frequently taught position (see Iyengar 1976; Jeraci 2017). In my classes I teach this posture over a 10-week course plan. I feel extremely rewarded in watching students’ progress. The energy levels change and the excitement of the students and myself can be felt. It’s such a wonderful empowering posture. It builds strength in the shoulders, arms and wrists and it improves your sense of balance. About the author Rebecca’s love and passion for yoga started about 20 years ago. At the age of 29 she was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and secondary liver cancer. She spent two years in and out of hospitals, aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy and numerous lengthy operations. Rebecca Papa-Adams is currently the longest survivor of stage 4 bowel cancer in the UK. It was yoga that had become a massive factor in Rebecca’s survival of cancer. At present Rebecca is active as a BWYQ level 4 teacher and she spreads the awareness of cancer through social media. Her email address is rebeccayoga@me.com.
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