Going Upside down with mari
I love going upside down. It has always felt like a doorway into play, and somewhere for that playful and curious energy to pour out. I also love the way handstands deepen the conversation with gravity and levity, where I can feel my palms rooted into the reliable solidity of the earth while my feet get to know weightlessness and space. Something about that reversal rearranges the way I sense and listen, to body, mind, and earth. It widens my perspective and liberates the stagnant and stuck into a wider field of exploration, connection, and possibility.
The process of learning handstands can also be a rich place of discovery. It can reveal a lot about our relationship to patience, curiosity, and the willingness to wobble, fall out, and begin again. We can learn a lot about our true strength, the kind inherent to a fluid body that isn’t rigid or hard, but flowing, adaptable, and responsive to the moment. It can be a lot of fun to work toward a handstand and build a cool party trick (please handstand responsibly - and never under the influence). But what I’ve come to appreciate over time is just how fruitful the process itself can be. At the risk of sounding cliché, it really is the journey that holds the reward: how we meet challenge, how we respond to falling, and how we gather ourselves to try again.
Written by Mari-Halina Colbert
If reading this has you feeling inspired to get upside down, we’d love for you to join us in person!
On Saturday March 28th from 2–4pm, Mari is hosting a beginner-friendly Handstand Workshop at Kula, covering the foundations of getting upside down and helping you build strength and confidence at the wall.
Spaces are limited, book your spot here.
We hope to see you there!