Hello, at a yoga class I attended the instructor demonstrated a tricep type of exercise to build arm strength for the handstand. Does anyone know exactly how to do this? I cannot exactly recall. 
Or even better, does anyone have a link that would show this exercise? Despite tennis, swimming and lifting, I can’t seem to hold my weight on my arms. Thanks very much for any info!
Hi renie,
Can you provide more information about the general aspects of the exercise as there are MANY triceps exercises that fit the description you provide. Or would you be open to other exercises?
[quote=David;15822]Hi renie,
Can you provide more information about the general aspects of the exercise as there are MANY triceps exercises that fit the description you provide. Or would you be open to other exercises?[/quote]
Hi David
I would be in down dog and then lean down as I press the upper half of each arm down onto the mat. Then lift up, down etc, just working the upper half of the arms. I’m not sure if I am doing it properly. And yes, I am open to anything that will help.:rolleyes:
Hi Renie,
I think what you might refering to is the Dolphin pose, here is a link to that pose: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2462
Done correctly it is a nice preparation for the headstand later on.
I have difficulty keeping my head off the ground in Dolphin pose, guess it will come with practice.
To get into the hand stand from Dolphin pose, do you following the actions taken to get into head stand?
[quote=Pandara;15828]Hi Renie,
I think what you might refering to is the Dolphin pose, here is a link to that pose: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2462
Done correctly it is a nice preparation for the headstand later on.[/quote]
Pandara, thanks! That’s the START of the drill we did. There’s another part where you kind of lift up the arms so you are working those triceps.
Hi Mike,
I have never followed the dolphin with a headstand. I use it for beginners in the months leading up to the headstand to prepare them for that and then I follow the steps to get into the headstand as being taught to me by my teacher and also as Siva has described here in another post on the Forum. 
Dear Renie,
I am not sure about the lifting part, this might be a variation introduced by your teacher and I cannot really comment on that.
Sorry Pandara, I’ve miscommunicated, what I meant was to do the hand stand is the steps followed from the dolphin pose the same steps when doing a head stand?
Hi Mike,
The steps differ a little. Compare the link to the dolphin with this one, although there are many points where they are the same.
What is more important for me is the attitude and mindset of the performer and that is for me where the biggest difference lies.
Thanks Pandara, I see that I’m confusing Feathered Peacock Pose with Handstand. With either of those, I need to improve the flexibility in my shoulders so that my arms can be directly above my body, the cause of the inflexibility is exercises designed to deal with shoulder injury’s. I’ll get there, it’ll just take a bit more time.
Mike,
in my experience as a 500-hour RYT, 2000-hour certified Purna Yoga teacher and practitioner of ten years most students focus on the strength to do the pose at the expense of the actions which envelope the pose in safety.
In the poses discussed above - Pincha Mayurasana (forearm balance), Sirsasana (headstand), and Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) - the student must first learn to secure the head of the humerus into the glenohumeral joint or, put another way “keep the arm in joint”. When that is not present in the students body and consciousness AND the arms bear weight the shoulder is susceptible to damage both in the moment and, more critically, over time.
We are, as a result of our ego, myopic and see strength and integrity only in muscle fiber when it is obvious from simple examination of human anatomy that there is more to bearing weight than muscles.
Thanks InnerAthlete, will be careful with technique, don’t want to add to my injury list.
Ironically we did Dolphin Pose in yoga today. I’m a long way off Feathered Peacock Pose.
[quote=InnerAthlete;15855]Mike,
in my experience as a 500-hour RYT, 2000-hour certified Purna Yoga teacher and practitioner of ten years most students focus on the strength to do the pose at the expense of the actions which envelope the pose in safety.
In the poses discussed above - Pincha Mayurasana ([I]forearm balance[/I]), Sirsasana ([I]headstand[/I]), and Adho Mukha Vrksasana ([I]handstand[/I]) - the student must first learn to secure the head of the humerus into the glenohumeral joint or, put another way “keep the arm in joint”. When that is not present in the students body and consciousness AND the arms bear weight the shoulder is susceptible to damage both in the moment and, more critically, over time.[/quote]
Thx, however, not being a medically trained person, I’m not sure what joints you are referring to, or what you mean by [B]keep the arm in joint[/B]. You are 100% correct that strength is not the most important step to achieving the poses, but rather, the technique. Unfortunately, in my gym’s yoga classes, too often that aspect is not explained to us mere mortals. I appreciate any more info you can give.
Hello Renie,
Sorry I got tracked off your original topic a bit by Mike’s post and was therefore responding to something he posted rather than your request for triceps exercises.
I made the erroneous assumption that those teaching yoga are fully trained to do so. However I have no expectation that students be more than mortal nor medically trained. The first also applies to teachers, though anatomy training should be requisite for yoga (asana) teachers.
I used this sentence:
the student must first learn to secure the head of the humerus into the glenohumeral joint or, put another way “keep the arm in joint”.
because it employed both a general reference (in joint) and a specific explanation (head of the upper arm bone into it’s socket). Concepts such as these should be ones imparted from yoga teacher to yoga student, in-person, so the action can be demonstrated and outlined before being incorporated.