ADHO MUKHA VRKSASANA (downward facing tree)
popularly called Handstand, Arm Balance
adho mukha = having the face downward (mukha = mouth, face)
vrksa = tree
We might think this pose comes to us from modern Western gymnastics, as do some other poses, like hanumanasana, the pose named after the beloved monkey chief in the Ramayana, Hanuman, which of course is the splits. But no, there is some traditional precedence for this pose, possibly back to the late 17th century. I say “possibly” because, as is typical with the old texts, the instructions are sometimes vague and can be interpreted in more than one way. Here are the instructions from the Gheranda Samhita (3.39):
Fixing the palms of the two hands on the ground, raise the legs and head up in the air. The sages say this vajroli mudra conduces to the awakening of kundalini and long life.
Notice first that this exercise is grouped with the mudras or “seals,” and isn’t yet considered an asana. What do you think? Is Gheranda talking about handstand? Or is it a pose more like Full Boat (paripurna navasana) with the hands on the floor slightly behind the pelvis?
I’ll assume that you’re not yet able to balance freely and need to support your heels on a wall. If you don’t already have a wall for your asana practice, be sure you choose one that has nothing hanging on it in the practice area.
PRELIMINARY EXERCISES
In inversions like Handstand and Headstand it’s quite common for students just learning the poses to sink onto their lower back, creating an unpleasant compression and making balance slightly more difficult. What’s needed is some compensatory work with the thighs and tail bone. This exercise may help.
Stand with a block at its narrowest width between your thighs midway between your knees and the base of your pelvis. Roll the block back (inwardly rotate your thighs) and three useful things will happen: the back of your pelvis will widen, the front of your pelvis will narrow, and your front groins will deepen (to make a V shape on your front torso with the two hip points and the pubis); but one thing you don’t want will also happen: your tail bone will poke out from behind your pelvis, compressing your lower back. Now reverse the rotation of your thighs and roll the block forward (outwardly rotate your thighs), and everything will reverse: the back of your pelvis will narrow, the front widen, and the front groins will flatten; but now the tail bone will lengthen toward the floor.
You have to be very careful here NOT to tuck your tail. Think of it lengthening downward and stretching back along the floor like a kangaroo tail. Now very slowly go back and forth between the two extremes, getting a feel for what happens with each rotation. Then, when you feel ready, roll the block back and, at the same time, lengthen your tail bone down, AS IF you were rolling the block forward. The inner thighs and tail resist each other. Stand for a while with the block and continue to feel the inward rotation of your thighs as they’re met by the downward stretching tail. This is what will protect your lower back in Handstand and help to bring you into better alignment.
Now bend forward to standing forward bend. Bring your hands to the back of your pelvis and spread the buttock muscles away from the midline of the sacrum. Repeat three or four times, then slide your hands to your outer hips and soften them as much as possible. From here slide your hands along the outer thighs until they’re opposite the block and press your hands very firmly to squeeze the block. Of course your outer thighs can’t physically do this–that’s the job of the inner thighs–but in yoga these miracles are always possible with a vivid imagination. Then continue with that inward press of your hands to slide them down to the outer ankles. Hook your thumbs around the inner ankles, fingers around the outer and pull up. Imagine you’re trying to lift yourself off the floor (let me know if you succeed, I’ve been trying to do that for at least 30 years). Further imagine a line of energy flowing up along your inner legs to the inner groins. These two lines then pass through the pelvis to the sacrum, where they fan out to your hips and the whole circuit begins again, down the outer legs, up the inner. Repeat three or four times. Then reach a hand behind your legs and slowly draw the block out, feeling how that imparts an inward rotation to your thighs.
Now step back into Downward Facing Dog (adho mukha svanasana). Swing your torso slightly forward, as if moving into plank, and roll your upper arms outwardly. Ideally this will widen your shoulder blades, and at the same time, shift your weight to the little finger sides of your hands. Now, resist the undersides of your arms away from the floor, and maintaining the width of your shoulder blades, push straight back on your thighs and draw the torso straight back from the arms. At the same time, press the outer arms inward as if being bear hugged around the shoulders, again without losing the width of the shoulder blades. This is the action you’ll want to re-create in Handstand. Speaking of which ...
ADHO MUKHA VRKSASANA
Now go to your wall, fold into standing forward bend, and press your hands to the floor a few inches (but no more) away from the wall. Step one foot forward (usually it will be that your dominant leg), this is the kicking leg, while you keep the other straight, this is your swinging leg. Students often bend the swinging when kicking into the pose, which reduces the power of your kick. So keep the swinging (back) leg very strong and straight, and as you swing it up, with an explosive EXHALATION (be sure not to hold your breath), forcefully kick off with the kicking leg. If this is your first or an early attempt, don’t try to spring into the full pose right away. Take a few practice hops always keeping the swinging leg long and strong. Don’t be discouraged if this attempt fails, it’s very common for it to take a few practices sessions before success. There may be a fear factor involved that’s preventing you from getting all the way up. This is quite common too; if this is the case, maybe put a bolster on the floor between your hands, it will offer at least an illusion of a soft place to (crash) land.
Don’t be surprised, when you finally achieve the pose, if your heel thumps hard against the wall, rattling the whole house. As you gain proficiency, you’ll get a better feel of just how much force is needed from the kicking leg to bring your heels lightly to the wall. Re-create the inward turn of your thighs, countered by the lengthening of your tail bone toward the heels, the widening of your shoulder blades, and the inward firming of the outer, upper arms. Bear your weight on the bases of the index fingers, being careful not to let your weight fall heavily on the bases of your palms, this will have an unpleasant effect on your wrists.
Initially stay up for maybe 10 seconds, letting your head release downward. Then step one foot lightly down to the floor and immediately come into a forward bend. Stay for 10 to 15 seconds and come up with a long front torso on an inhale. Gradually increase your stay in the pose, aim for 30 seconds first, and then a minute.
BEGINNING TIP
Go to an open doorway and do a forward bend with your back against one inner side of the door frame. If your hands don’t easily rest on the floor, support them on blocks. Then walk your feet up the inside of the opposite frame, until you’re more or less at a right angle. Press your heels firmly against the frame, and feel how this firms your back to the frame as well. This image of a firm back while kicking up at your wall may help you achieve the pose.
BALANCING TIP
Set your hands in position a few inches away from the wall and kick up. Now lift your head and brace your crown against the wall (you may need to come down and adjust the placement of your hands if you’re too close or two far off the wall). Once you’ve done this, lighten the pressure of one of your heels on the wall. Wait a few seconds, and if you still feel balanced, take that heel off the wall, reaching it very actively to the ceiling. Then return that heel to the wall, and do the same with the other. If both of these experiments are successful, then try both heels together. Continue pressing your crown to the wall, reaching actively through your heels.