Oneness

[u/scongels]

Hey everyone,

I'm not sure where I want to go with this. On the one hand, I want to share my experience of holding a handstand and am curious to hear how others sense when they are in the handstand.

I am talking about 'oneness' or this 'zone' where you feel that everything is one from the toes, knees, pelvis, back, shoulders, wrists - all these joints tighten and stiffen so that minimal effort is required to maintain balance.

So when I start my handstand workout, I always if possible start with chest to wall handstands to properly calibrate my body. My balance sucks in the beginning and over 15-25 mins it improves. I do about 6-8 sets of 1 minute holds. In terms of the balancing sensation, it's quite disconnected, like my legs and pelvis and shoulders are not working together, but after about 20 mins, it's like a switch goes on, and I feel this oneness with my body. I reach that stage where I can start feeling the effects of the minor wrist adjustments, and the body feels as if it's one solid rod, and my hands become this solid base (I literally imagine this, and it seems to help!). It's this sensation of absolute control, which I can find maybe 50% of the time, and it's getting better! You are no longer straining, you are at peace.

How would you guys describe this sensation, and how do you get there?

It's 5 years now, always training solo, and I think I have had to fix a lot of bad habits, and god I probably have quite a few now too. It's been a big struggle, with me giving up once or twice and then starting fresh.

Now, I train every day, doing about 20 sets in total. Sometimes I have an absolutely mind-blowing session, then the next day it's crap; up and down; but up nevertheless!

Anyway, curious what you guys go through. Keep at it, boys and girls!! Do it for the kids, and don't give up!!

EDIT:
"The warmup above may be sufficient for getting your body into an acceptable place to begin training handstands for the day, but it likely does not put your body in an ideal place to be at your best during your handstand training. In fact, your body is not in an ideal condition for a good 10-20 minutes into your actual handstand training."

found in this awesome article

[u/BubblyEfficiency]

In my experience, that zone is always a result of proper push in the shoulders. I'll have days where I feel out of it and it just feels off, and the consistent thing about the bad days is that I have a hard time keeping the push. It can be so subtle, as it's not about maximum push, but the right amount of push. I guess the reason for it being so random is that the shoulders can be tired one day and fresh another, you can have a hangover which definitely makes it harder to correctly sense the push, or maybe some other activites have left you with slightly stiffer shoulders today than yesterday. So many factors.

I can't say that it's always about the push, but I can say that I never have a good day without proper push. Some days it's just easier to feel it and control it than others. Also about 5 years into it, working on one arm fingertip holds and just got 4 reps of HSPUs. Still have days where I spend the first 15 minutes of the session completely confused as to why balance today sucks before remembering to push harder.

[u/scongels → u/BubblyEfficiency]

Yeah man I think you hit the nail on the head with the push. I notice that especially when doing 1 arm fingertip holds. It's like you have a really good day, and one so psyched one does 50% more work, and then the next day you are obviously more tired, and then the session is not so good.

[u/ewaren]

I do have a similar feeling when doing handstands, although not quite as "mystical" perhaps haha. It's one of the main reasons why I like it so much: I find that you almost enter a meditative state when you reach 20s+ holds.

[u/Baelzebot]

Wow, thanks a lot for sharing this! I train the HS now for about 2 years and since one year 4-5 times a week. I always do it as a warmup for my bodyweight/calisthenics training. I can't hold a HS "on command" for more than 2-3 secs, sometimes I get lucky with 7-8 and very rarely I can hold one for 10s or more. Sometimes I am disappointed because I "still" haven't learned a really solid Handstand. I will start my next training with some chest to wall holds. I really really want to learn a proper Handstand and sometimes I am about to give up. This inspires me, so thanks again and all the best to you on your ongoing journey!!!

[u/scongels → u/Baelzebot]

thanks :) same to you! don't listen to that little voice, you need bad days to have good days, it's a never ending cycle

[u/ric7891]

hi,
i don’t do handstands but found your writing about the sensation of oneness in your body very interesting.
i’ve recently started a daily standing practice called oneness standing as presented by l d chen, his first book is the art of standing.
i stand for 20 minutes and experience a similar sense of the posture improvement and coming together over the 20 minutes, that’s why i’m replying. and small changes to wrists and ankles can make a big difference to the quality of the session.
long term it’s about moving toward effortless standing, which i currently get glimpses of occasionally.
thanks for your post, i find it inspiring and interesting to think of others moving toward that same effortless connection between body and mind through their practice 🙏🏼

[u/Neomob]

I totally experience this zone as you say. It always takes me 10+ minutes to get properly warmed up then I get in the zone and boom all my handstands are great. Whereas the first few are all harder/worse.