Yoga Straight Leg Pike Press to Handstand Tutorial Instruction - Shana Meyerson YOGAthletica

[@YOGAthletica]

vimeo.com/ondemand/yogathleticaalwaysontap/ When you are ready to level up your practice, do my FULL-LENGTH classes to build strength, balance and flexibility to change your whole yoga game! All levels, all intensities! 🤸🏿‍♀⚡🙏

[@Shoucry]

Your smile at the end is so precious. And your instructions are clear and precise as always. Thank you for your generous sharing！

[@YOGAthletica]

Crystal Lockhart thank you, Crystal! How are your handstands coming along? 💗

[@Shoucry]

shana meyerson It has been a great learning and testing my patience and belief. Still fall down ...:D I am feeling more confident and comfortable on putting myself upside down!

[@YOGAthletica]

Getting better all the time! ♥️

[@ongjoyce6030]

Great instructions Shana. You are so so incredibly strong! And funny too!

[@YOGAthletica]

thank you so much! so happy to teach and keep you smiling! 🤗

[@ملتقىدجلةوالفرات]

I looove pike presses🤩🤩🤩🌹they r my favourite presses although the hardest ones

[@YOGAthletica]

🌟🌟🤸🏻‍♂️🌟🌟

[@tuoctran43]

Tysm!

[@YOGAthletica]

YW SM! 😃

[@lilianflynn198]

Good tutorial

[@YOGAthletica]

thanks! hope it helps!

[@johnd8971]

Thanks Shana - good video, although you make that look way easier than it actually is (and the phrase get your strap on sounds odd in a yoga video, or maybe its just me...) Something to aspire to over the next 2 years I think - maybe even longer. Going to keep working this in the hope I get there one day. I also took the plunge on your crow flow class on Vimeo - great stuff.

[@YOGAthletica]

thanks, john! i know this is a very challenging move that took me years to get, as well. but once it hits, it hits. practice every day and don't get frustrated. that's the main key! :) and thanks for checking out my vimeo channel, too! :)

[@vanusaneves5066]

i love your smile and your energy

[@YOGAthletica]

Thank you, Van! 💗💗💗💗

[@dineshmehta5905]

U r the best

[@YOGAthletica]

thank you so much!

[@nike_girl]

Does a normal strap work as well as one of those stretchy ones?

[@YOGAthletica]

Speaking from my personal experience, the stretchy strap works best because it leaves some room for the bending and straightening of the elbows that helps with handstand balance in general. However, I don't even know if anyone makes these anymore! This was a prototype strap from yogitoes around 15-20 years ago...and well before they were bought out by Manduka. You may be able to find one on eBay! Otherwise...you can definitely use a standard strap, you just may have to play around with the size so that it provides the appropriate amount of pressure for your process. Hope that helps! 🙏

[@tizianograndi]

Shana, have applied your suggestion in your answer number 2, by going more in the big toes and it work better now. Once there I lift one food off, then the second and while my feet are both off the floor I drag them forward.....also your idea of melting gave me new sensation but still confusion about hollow body, pushing with shoulder blade the floor away vs. the melting theories you give..... this we will clear in Milan. Be prepared for this! Ciao Tiziano

[@YOGAthletica]

Try not to lift one foot at a time, as it won't help you to learn to press. The key is to work from the hips rather than the feet/legs. You want to reprogram yourself to pull yourself from the hips instead of pushing from the legs, as that is what makes a press and press. When I was trying to figure this one out, my feet literally didn't even come off the floor for years...just higher and higher on my toes until one day...boom! They lifted. Be patient, but if you want to press, focus only on the press and don't let the desire to get your feet off the ground get in the way. :) See you in Milan!

[@tizianograndi]

Ok! I will try also this action and then see what's up. ciao tiziano

[@LitLotus]

Thanks so much for the video Shana, absolutely brilliant as usual. Do you do workshops? You must! Please come to Northern Cali!!

[@YOGAthletica]

hi neema! thank you so much for your note. :) i've taught workshops at yoga tree sf and, in fact, was meant to do three weekends of workshops there in 2016...but when yogaworks bought them out, they cancelled all of them. :/ but...i'll be back! just need a new studio host! if you give me your email address, i can put you on my newsletter list...or you can sign up directly on my website at www.yogathletica.com. i send out an email every month that lists all my coming and goings. :) hope to see you in a workshop soon. (i also do lessons via skype, if you are interested). :) shana

[@LitLotus]

you're most dearly welcome Shana. I will definitely sign up for your newsletter and if you do any workshops please make sure you have them on your webpage. I often visit San Diego and just might make the hike to your studio! xox

[@YOGAthletica]

i always have all my workshops listed on YOGAthletica.com and on my YOGAthletica facebook page. :)

[@ملتقىدجلةوالفرات]

I sometimes get kinda stuck in the seven pose and can't get up from there

[@YOGAthletica]

I get that! It happens to the best of us. Try really focusing on moving from the hips, more than from the legs when you get to that point. hips back further before you try to hinge. and press strongly into the heels of your palms. 🤸🏻‍♂️ Have you tried my Union.fit channel of full-length classes? I have new 50% off passes! www.union.fit/orgs/yogathletica/passes By working with my full practices instead of just pose-by-pose instruction, you will gain the overall foundation to take you into just about anything!

[@mercedesshumway8111]

thank you !!! I love your videos :)

[@YOGAthletica]

i really appreciate that! thanks for watching. :)

[@rajeswarroy7905]

I'm in Beginner level in handstand progression can I try this ???

[@YOGAthletica]

The pike press is a very advanced transition. You can always try everything!!! ❤️❤️❤️ But...I would recommend really drilling down on mastering your basic handstand first. Once you can balance for 30 seconds or more in the middle of the room, your body will have the ability (and time) to start manipulating variables to master new things.

[@rajeswarroy7905]

@@YOGAthletica actually Mam I can't hold more than 4 sec and I want to avoid kick handstand so

[@YOGAthletica]

@@rajeswarroy7905 definitely work on this, then! I recommend working in front of a wall. ❤️

[@YogaOca]

Love it!

[@YOGAthletica]

thank you!

[@CowboyBebop444]

Awesomeness

[@YOGAthletica]

thank you!

[@tizianograndi]

Dear Shana, may ask you a question? what confusing me is your advice to not make an hollow body but the opposite, I mean "melting you shoulder instead of push them away" or "backbending" while i'm using a hollow body horse shoe shape back to chest....why? best regards Tiziano

[@YOGAthletica]

by melting your shouders, it creates a backbend in the thoracic spine and allows the hips to move back beyond the shoulders. it's the hips way back that helps to pull the legs up, as the hips are now further from where the feet are and can pull them up. does that make sense?

[@tizianograndi]

Thank's Shana! It has a sense, just my body now need to digest a new pattern....it look like on lifting straight leg in the tripod headstand, sirsasana, at the end of the primary serie of ashtanga......where the legs ges up because your hips goes forward far beyond the shoulder.....I iwll try! thank's for sharing with us your bodily experience. tziano

[@YOGAthletica]

Yes! It's very similar work! Think the shape of the number 7 and come as high as possible on your toes. It really helps!

[@tizianograndi]

I will try annd try.....and see what my body does..... thank's Shana!!!! Ciao from italy tiziano

[@YOGAthletica]

you're welcome! i'll be teaching in milano in mid-november...maybe you can come up and i can help you in person. :)

[@RominaJones]

Do you think this move is possible for everyone regardless of body proportions. If someone has disproportionately long legs the lean over required to get the legs off the floor is so much more and moves into a more unstable angle of support. I have noticed some instructors start to acknowledge the advantage of short legs in poses such as this. While that may be true have you observed long legged (short torso) people do this successfully?

[@YOGAthletica]

bodily proportions are definitely something that need to be considered in your yoga practice. for whatever it's worth, i have disproportionately long legs...it just requires more lift to get them off the floor. the work is mastering the lift off, as the more you can get your hips into the air, the more space you will have for your legs to float underneath them. :) hope that helps!

[@RominaJones]

Thanks, that's encouraging!

[@philoslother4602]

I can do a straddle press but not this. I can lift my legs only 2 inches above the ground in this one

[@YOGAthletica]

Gaming Kid it took me years of daily practice after I already had straddle press to get this one. They are very, very different moves. Stay with the practice. Honestly, it could take years, but it comes in time. 💗

[@namasteray7350]

I like

[@YOGAthletica]

:)