Yoga is a practice that requires both physical and mental strength, and using the wall as a support can be an excellent way to enhance your poses. Whether at home or in a class, wall yoga is a fun way to support and improve your practice. By using the wall, you can simplify challenging postures and increase the difficulty of easier ones. In this article, we’ll explore different poses that you can practice against the wall to build strength and confidence for handstands.
Using the Wall for Balance Poses
When practicing balance poses, the wall can be a great aid in helping you find stability. If you’re just starting out or recovering from an injury (especially in your legs), placing your hands on the wall can provide the support you need. This will help you stabilize your body and develop the core strength needed to hold the pose.
For more advanced balance poses that require careful alignment of the hips, such as Warrior III, Half Moon Pose, or Twisted Hand-to-Foot Pose, try placing the raised foot against the wall. This helps ensure proper hip positioning and full engagement of the leg. Using the wall as support in these poses will strengthen your core, hips, and legs. 
Stretching with Wall Support
The wall can make stretches more challenging by ensuring proper alignment and helping you push deeper into the stretch. For example, in the Forward Fold against the wall, place your heels at the base of the wall and ensure your feet are hip-width apart. Check if your hips touch the wall as you fold forward. This alignment keeps your practice safe while allowing for deeper stretches, all while ensuring comfort in the lower back.
Similarly, in the Triangle Pose, place your feet against the wall. As you reach forward and place your hand on your shin, foot, or a yoga block, rotate your chest to ensure your hips and shoulders are in alignment with the wall. The sensation of your body touching the wall during the pose will remind you of the correct form, whether you’re practicing against the wall or not.
Wall Yoga for Inversions
Using the wall for inversions like headstands, forearm stands, and Handstands is essential to mastering these poses. Wall-supported inversions help build strength, promote circulation, and provide energy flow, all while alleviating stress on your knees and hips.
If you feel uneasy practicing at home or you’re older and more cautious, practicing against the wall helps prevent the risk of falling backward. The wall allows you to stay in the pose longer and adds an extra layer of support to prevent injury.
Here’s a series of exercises to help you prepare for handstands. With consistent practice, you’ll soon feel more confident and capable in your handstand journey.
Handstand Preparation Series
Exercise 1: Start in Downward Dog with your feet against the wall. Inhale, jump your legs upward to place your feet on the wall, reaching a half-handstand. Hold the position for a few breaths.
Exercise 2: From Downward Dog, bend your right knee, hold, then bend your left knee. After several breaths, walk your legs up the wall into a half-handstand and hold.
Exercise 3: Jump from Downward Dog into a half-handstand. Once stable, raise your right leg and try to lift your left heel off the wall. After a few breaths, switch legs.
Exercise 4: From the half-handstand, bend your left knee, lower your right leg toward the ground. Hold for a few breaths, then switch legs.
Exercise 5: Start in Downward Dog, placing your feet on the wall. Swing your right leg side to side, then bring your right leg across to your left side. Grab your right ankle with your left hand. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Exercise 6: From Downward Dog, jump into a half-handstand. Once stable, bend your knees and bring your hips toward your heels. Return to the half-handstand and repeat.
Exercise 7: Begin in Downward Dog with your feet on the wall, slightly wider apart. Swing both legs side to side. After a few swings, switch legs.
Conclusion
Incorporating the wall into your yoga practice is a fantastic way to build strength, improve balance, and safely explore advanced poses like handstands. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced yogi, wall yoga offers a supportive way to refine your technique, deepen your stretches, and master inversions. Keep practicing, and you’ll soon find yourself more confident in your poses and well on your way to handstands!
