[day 24 / day 25] kick up with head on the wall

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ericazhan
Posts: 2
Joined: 28 Nov 2020, 17:44

Hello Natalie,

I'm erica from paris. So excited to talk with you here! I like your videos, they are so warm and informative. And since we are in the 2nd lockdown, finally I started your programs couch to handstand. I am so happy I made this choice!

OK back to the subject. I follow along all episodes of " couch to handstand" since the 1st november. Now I slowed down a little bit so I am in 'day 25'.

Since day 24, I found my head always knocked to the wall when I kicked up. And if I put my hands far away from wall, I would be too scared to kick 😂 So finally I pressed my head on the wall first, then I kicked up. Is it a right way ? Could I continue doing this or I'd better learn to kick up without my head on the wall ? Am I ready to your tutorials of 'Prepare for handstands'? (already bought thanks to black friday 😁 and of course I will finish the rest 5 days but I don't think I could resovle the head on wall issue too fast..)

Here is the link of my latest training for day 25~ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIG8bnaBH2t/ (sorry, the video is accelerated..)

From your tutorials, I understand that I got a very tight shoulder. So I am also doing your 17 mins 'shoulder streching follow along' almost everyday before handstand pratice. Maybe my problem is also caused by my shoulder?

Thank you so much! and bon courage to everyone in the way to handbalancing!

Best wishes!

Erica
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Natalie Reckert
Posts: 68
Joined: 17 Sep 2019, 21:14

Dear Erica,

Thank you very much for your question and for your lovely words!

Thank you also for sending the links to the videos, that helps me to understand what the problem is.

First of all I have to say that some of my students found it helpful to oush their head against a couch or a Yoga wheel to learn how to balance. While I am personally very opposed to this methods, it has worked for them.

There are a few things at works here:

You are too close to the wall with your hands. I would suggest that you are at least half a hand width (horizontal width knuckle to knuckle) or even one hand width (equivalent of the length of your hands from base to fingertips) away.

This will help you to be properly aligned directly above your shoulders.
At the moment you are too far over towards the wall.
This happens also because you lean with your upper back against the wall.

You need to also round your back more, but in a way that makes your shoulders align directly above the wrists. It feels a bit like doing a headjump into the floor very much straight down as opposed to doing a forward roll into the wall :)
This can be a bit scary because it means you need to carry your full weight.
I can see however from the pictures on Instagram that you have made it into a wall handstand where your shoulders are not leaning against the wall.
Not touching the wall with your shoulders or upper back should be you goal throughout the kick-up.
Here is a video about what to watch out for when your shoulders are tight in the kick-up:



Your shoulders can be more open you are right, I am happy to hear you are doing daily shoulder stretches. The prepare for handstand course wil give you more of that.
I would suggest to do the last week of couch to handstand again if you feel like it and then start the Prepare for handstands course. They should blend in well.

I hope that helps, I admire your determination to make the best of lock down :)
Best wishes,
Natalie
ericazhan
Posts: 2
Joined: 28 Nov 2020, 17:44

Dear Natalie,

That's soooooo helpful!!!

It's such a great happiness and encouragement to receive your reply. Thank you very much for taking a look of my practices and thank you for all these sweet and serious suggestions!

I will continue to practice, especially as you pointed out, learning to not touch the wall with my shoulders or upper back!

And I will post my feedback later 😁 but not too soon, haha. The way to handbalancing is practice + patience, as you repeated many times in the video.😉

Best wishes!

Erica
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