Evolution of a Handstand Pt.3 - Shoulders

"What's the secret, Peter?"

-"Naturally, I'll say it's the wine"

"Mmmm, it does go well with the chicken!"
                                     -Beastie Boys

What's the secret to handstands (probably not the wine). Too many to list, but mainly practice, practice, practice! Let's just focus on one body part at a time. How bout them shoulders?

What's happening in the shoulder girdle in a handstand. When I first started, I don't think I could even pay attention to the shoulders, there were just too many things to think about. But then I ran across a tutorial for jump throughs that talked about how pushing the upper arm bones out of the socket was crucial to performing this awesome move.

You hear so many cues in yoga classes about shoulders, relax them, soften them...it's wierd. I actually have to engage (depress) my scapular muscles to pull my shoulders away from my ears/open the chest so there is no relaxing or softening. I think these cues are pretty useless (for someone with a tight chest). Sometimes the subtle movements in the body that get you to executing a particular shape originate from very different places. This is why I focus on the scapular muscles and the position of the upper arm bones relative to the lower arm bones and the joint capsule.This push of the arm bones "out" of the socket has helped my jump through and my handstand.

Think about it, when you push the arms up (or down, if inverted) then you are pushing the weight of the body away from the floor, which is exactly what needs to happen. If you simply balance on your hands then the muscles that will keep you upright aren't turned on so you come down as quick as you went up.

Try this: from downward facing dog, bend the arms, lowering the head toward the floor then push the arms straight (like a push-up). Do this a few times then walk the feet forward and move into a handstand any way you like. Before you kick up, press up, tuck up, or whatever, KEEP THE FEELING OF THE HANDS PRESSING INTO THE FLOOR AND MAKE SURE THE SHOULDERS ARE TURNED ON AND THE UPPER ARMS PUSHED OUT. Sorry, I didn't mean to yell;)

And, as always, yoga like nobody's watching (because they might be watching, but you give no f**ks)!