[QUOTE=omamana;43011]Inspirational, as far as asana goes.
I could not help but notice the women behind her, struggling on despite having ‘wonder women’ in front of her…made me giggle.[/QUOTE]
Yes thoroughly inspirational, wow…and yes…very funny, that poor woman in the background, its a wonder she carried on it must be somewhat crushing to be watching as you struggle to cross your legs…
Hi Folks,
Ok. So I’m a show off.
Here is the type of freestanding handstand I am speaking of. Point of view is from the floor looking up to the ceiling. Note that my head is hanging down and not looking at the floor, also I’m pressing off the floor on the inhalation as described previously in this thread (although it takes a couple here).
I hope it will clarify mechanics of a solid handstand.
siva
Nice!!! 
I started to do inhale when going up but after some tries I decided to keep looking at the floor. I think I prefer that way because it makes my back more engaged.
Do you have a video from side view? I love to watch balancing when people go up.
[QUOTE=Pawel;65560]Nice!!! I started to do inhale when going up but after some tries I decided to keep looking at the floor. I think I prefer that way because it makes my back more engaged…[/QUOTE]
Pawel,
Watch how the tip of the nose and toes draw together to form a single axis: the connection between them (the head and feet). You see my point about the head countering the legs like a tail hanging down? If you look at the floor, you lose that energy and control: that is kundalini energy.
Don’t be discouraged and keep trying. You have to get way up onto your toes with that last “full exhalation,” and be tight in the gut. Then, only by shifting weight and balancing, will your legs rise with the inhalation (and some luck).
siva
Hi Siva,
You touched subject which is very confusing to me. Is the reason for holding head straight “energetic” then? Does it mean that this (kundalini) energy flow can be stopped by bending head (or other part of spine)?
In terms of balance I’m not sure - I saw great handstands with head looking at the floor (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTcLhOlIk5I after 1:00).
At the end, I will learn both ways anyway - I like philosophy of learning all variations - more fun and body knowledge.
Pawel
[QUOTE=siva;65562]Pawel,
Watch how the tip of the nose and toes draw together to form a single axis: the connection between them (the head and feet). You see my point about the head countering the legs like a tail hanging down? If you look at the floor, you lose that energy and control: that is kundalini energy.
Don’t be discouraged and keep trying. You have to get way up onto your toes with that last “full exhalation,” and be tight in the gut. Then, only by shifting weight and balancing, will your legs rise with the inhalation (and some luck).
siva[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Pawel;65605]Hi Siva,
You touched subject which is very confusing to me. Is the reason for holding head straight “energetic” then? Does it mean that this (kundalini) energy flow can be stopped by bending head (or other part of spine)? [/QUOTE] in this posture, yes.
The head acts as a counter balance to the legs. If you extend your neck and look at the floor, you lose that ability: you cut it off.
[QUOTE=Pawel;65605]In terms of balance I’m not sure - I saw great handstands with head looking at the floor (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTcLhOlIk5I after 1:00).
At the end, I will learn both ways anyway - I like philosophy of learning all variations - more fun and body knowledge.
Pawel[/QUOTE]
One is yoga asana, the other is calisthenic. There is a big difference.
Best of luck,
siva
[QUOTE=siva;65677]One is yoga asana, the other is calisthenic. There is a big difference.[/QUOTE]
Siva, I think you are bit too harsh. I consulted my “Light on Yoga” book and it seems BKS Iyengar instructs to look at the floor (and even better - “Lift the head as far up as you can”). So I think both versions have some merits.
[QUOTE=Pawel;65708]Siva, I think you are bit too harsh.[/QUOTE]
Pawel buddy,
I’m not sure what you mean by harsh, but thanks for allowing me a chance to clarify.
Of course, all of this is within the realm of handstand, and any one of them you can do is great! The point is, the more relaxed you are, the more stable and balanced: true in physics as it is in asana.
Mr. Iyengar took a lot of great photos, and this is one of them. However, you bring up an interesting question: being a master of the posture he would be able to hold that pose for up to three hours? Right? The question is, when he gets to that third hour, would you suppose he’s still holding it like that, with his spine in an arc and head up, or more like a pillar: legs up straight with head hanging down, relaxed?
In a “calisthenic” posture, balance and control are mostly muscular dependent. As as pose reaches the realm of asana, relaxation and alignment take over.
If that’s harsh, then please forgive me. Clarity above all else.
siva
Hi Siva,
Thanks for clarification - time length of being the handstand is interesting. I didn’t think about that. But then, I’m FAAAR from 1h still But Wow, 3h is really long!
About harshness: I felt your comment was bit harsh because often I found “asana yogis” to degrade other forms of physical activity using sentence like: “its not yoga, its gymnastics”. Like only doing asana you are practicing something spiritual and everything else is just muscles and noise. I’m very beginner in yoga but I don’t agree with that. It resembles too much inter- religious arguments claiming that only my religion is true and others are just empty and mental activity. I have this picture that prana flows and its exercised while doing any form of physical activity and asanas are designed to alter this flow in a very specific way (however I still have no idea which way is it 
) and depending on individual needs/goals have to be altered. Hope you understand now why I found your comment bit harsh.
[QUOTE=Pawel;65734] Like only doing asana you are practicing something spiritual and everything else is just muscles and noise…It resembles too much inter- religious arguments claiming that only my religion is true and others are just empty and mental activity.[/QUOTE]
Pawel,
Anything can be spiritual, however not everything is asana. For example, what an acrobat does in the circus is not asana, although i would not go so far as to say it is not “spiritual” to the performer or spectator. Also, to me yoga has nothing to do with religion anyway, it’s simply cause and effect: some yielding greater effect for the effort and some lesser. That’s really all I am concerned about here. If you’re a beginner, then trust first and know there is a difference between an asana and a stunt, even though they may look very much the same.
peace,
siva