Why are handstands so cool?
Spinal traction creates a healthy spine. Truth. It’ll also make you slightly taller. A teacher of mine said that yoga will make you taller, and then he reminded us, “But who cares?” So here it is: people look cool doing cool yoga poses. I’m not going to lie. But who cares?
Handstands are tough to do
People who don’t do yoga aren’t aware how tough a triangle pose can be if you’re fully engaged. Similarly, they don’t know how effortless, but super cool, a crow can be when done with good alignment. Handstands strain you, even in good alignment. It’s a fully body engagement from toes to tips. And it looks like it too.
Handstands show good alignment, which is inherently appealing to see
Stack your joints. Engage your core. Muscles wrap the bone. It’s a full body pile up, just like a thoughtful tadasana. Our minds evolved to notice proper alignment, that’s why we find good posture attractive. When we see good alignment, we are attracted to it. Notice that my above photo doesn’t show perfect alignment, making me only slightly cool. Imagine if I had really stacked it out. I mean, whoah.
Not everyone can do them
This isn’t very yoga to say, but most people aren’t able to do a handstand, at least not right now in their practice. I include myself in this category. It takes time to develop. You have to drill it daily. You have to work on it, even when you aren’t in it. Tuck your ribs in arda chandrasana and engage the quads and core in down dog. You wouldn’t think it, but that’ll help.