High in Handstand

Adho Mukha Vrksasana :)

"We share one thing in common," he said. "We all want to be happy and free from suffering." Those were Anusara yoga teacher, Peter Barber's opening words before guiding us on a path to happy. Twenty minutes into the class, he had us bring our mats against the wall for Handstand. Usually, teachers save challenging arm balances for the end of the class, but today, Peter wanted us to let go right from the start. "We do handstands because they're fun!" he said smiling. Handstands, right up there with deep backbends, are actually scary for most of us. Arm balances scare us because we're solely depending on our hands to keep us up. We're so used to relying on our feet to hold us down that when we try the reverse, it throws us completely off. The fact of the matter is arm balances teach us how to support ourselves - on and off the mat. When you decide to be there for yourself, you'll trust yourself and that will make all the difference.
Ever try doing something that scares you? Isn't it such a rush? In yoga, when you free your thoughts and let go, you reach an indescribable high. Suddenly, your body is bending deeper, balancing better, and opening wider. So when he told us to flip up in Handstand, I got excited rather than scared. I remembered how amazing it felt the first time I was able to do it. When I got up on my second attempt, I was on a happy high! When you trust yourself and go beyond your limitations, you realize that the possibilities are endless.
There are countless yoga poses that bring me to a blissful place, but the most satisfying ones are those I once believed were impossible. The Me today is excited to attempt the asanas I once preferred to ignore.
When you choose to live your yoga off the mat, you're choosing to face your fears. Living in fear is living in suffering. And getting on a happy high means you're dismissing false beliefs of not being good enough,  and rising above all limitations. Every experience is a valuable stepping stone that'll bring you closer to the high you desire. With patience, trust, and a lot of breathing, you'll get your happy high - trust me!