My first handstand!

It just says click. 

I have tried getting up to handstands before at yoga. Several times. But the mere thought of it has always terrified me. Inversions (as exercises where your head and heart are lower than your legs are called in yoga) just seemed so scary. And especially handstands. What if I would land on my head? Or topple over in the wrong direction? In theory, both are possible if one goes up into a handstand with too much speed. 

In practice, most students do not get their legs even close to straight up and do for sure not risk going over. And this is where you would have found me until now. Trying to lift my legs up and getting perhaps half way, before dropping down again. 

Scary, scary, scary. 

But not today. Today I actually made it completely upside down! Of course with a little bit of support, especially moral such, from the yoga teacher whose presence and reassuring 'hold' made me overcome my fear. But the real work was all me. Both in getting up there and in staying all straight upside down - with strong feet, strong hands and a strong core. And it felt like I could have stayed like that for hours (or rather perhaps minutes). The only reason I went back down again was to allow the teacher to help others. But I didn't even feel tired. Instead the experience made me feel energised and happy and strong and full of confidence. 

A great experience which I am so happy to have made as it allowed me to remember that anything is possible as long as I set my mind to it, that I try over and over again until it works, that I build my knowledge and strength, and that I overcome my fears of failing, and falling. And of course, that I have a supporting hand from a person that I trust. 

Anything is possible. I can do anything that I set my mind to. I am strong. I am great. I am a person who just made my first handstand and got praise from my wonderful yoga teacher twice after for its perfect composition. 

I can!

The perfect end after a not to great of a day job wise. My goal for today's yoga practice was to feel stronger. And that was more than achieved as this experience made me feel stronger both physically and mentally. 

And it was the perfect final class with the world's best yoga teacher before she leaves to work in Myanmar for six months. I really hope that she comes back and takes up her classes again. But in the meantime, I will continue to do yoga even if I don't find as good a teacher, and I will continue to feel confident in myself. The perfect goodbye gift from the perfect teacher. I might even continue to try doing handstands. Because....

I can do anything!