Slow is the go

If there was ever a daily mantra I repeat to myself it would be "slow is the go"

For me this is put into practice by :

-Not trying to do too much too quickly which has gotten me injured in the past and/or burnt out.

-Resting long enough between sets. This prevents early cumulative fatigue and in a skills based practice like handstands keeps the quality higher throughout a session. Quality practice>quality results.

-Taking my time getting into and out of positions by adopting a slower tempo. For example, when transferring to one arm from two arm handstand the slower I move (within reason) often the better the set (applies to entries and shape changes etc.) Get it slow then you can do it fast.

What helps accomplish these points?

Meditation

For myself and others, many of the hurdles in accomplishing the above are based in the mind. Slow down your mind first and see what follows.

Volumes have been written about the benefit of meditation but I want to state here how powerful this can be as a tool for handstand training. You don’t need to be "spiritual" to reap the rewards.

I simply make sure to start off everyday or practice session by closing my eyes and breathing deeply for 10 minutes "watching my thoughts".

The day that follows is always of higher quality than if I had skipped my meditation.

Something I often tell people is "No meditation - the day runs me. when I meditate - I run the day".

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