How To Do A Handstand

Aprende a hacer una parada de manos

You’re probably used to seeing handstands and handstand variations (think: handstand shoulder taps #casual) in your TikTok feed by now. Learning how to do a handstand is not only an impressive party trick—it will score you heaps of mental and physical bennies, too.

“To do a handstand, your strength, mobility, balance, focus—everything—has to be aligned for you to achieve that completely weightless feeling,” says Nadia Zaki, yoga teacher and founder of Constantly Evolving and Inspire Inner Space in New York City. Zaki notes that this should not intimidate you. “Anybody, at any size, can do a handstand,” she assures.

A handstand is a lot more than a neat party trick. Not only does it work upper-body and core strength, it also trains balance, body awareness, deep breathing, focus, and discipline—skills that are transferable to every mountain sport and outdoor activity, as well as daily life. “You have to be in the present to balance on your hands. You can’t be thinking or worrying about something else,” Kristoffer says. “Handstand pose grounds your breath, helps you clear your head, and forces you into the moment.”