In the spotlight
Santa Monica
Mita in (the) RAW(volution)
Mita / Eugene Ahn
Earth
Forest
Nicholas Rubin / -
India
Ghost in the handstand
Eugene Ahn / Jasper

Try to read this while upside down

About handstands

The handstand is the act of supporting oneself in an upright position, but using the hands and not the feet. Entertaining to watch and exhilarating to do, handstands give us the experience of having our world turned upside down with nothing more than the very basics of what we already have -- our bodies, and the Earth on which we live.

The practice of handstanding asks you to coordinate your strength, flexibility, and focus, not only on a physical level but on a mental level as well. The reward for this effort is an experience of balance. This sense of balance is often accompanied by a feelings of accomplishment, delight, and freedom.

Handstands are performed routinely in a variety of activities which share the common characteristic of treating work as play and play as work. Gymnastics, acrobatics, yoga, martial arts, parkour, and free running are included in these activities. While they may be distinguished by different intentions, philosophies, and purposes, these various activities all make room, in some way, for the practice of the handstand.

Our understanding of how it is possible to be free-standing while inverted is greatly informed by the law of gravity. Gravity defines not only our relationship with the Earth, but the relationship between all forms of matter with each other. One day, a space traveler will attempt to do a handstand on a celestial body other than Earth, and in that instant the world of handstands will be turned upside down.

About handstandseverywhere.com

The purpose of this website is to celebrate the fun of doing handstands everywhere. To capture this sense of fun, the website facilitates community-oriented spaces that explore the themes of physical activity, travel, photography, and writing. By documenting original and personal acts of human movement and expression, this website and its participants endeavor to promote health and wellness for both the individual and the Earth.

The website was created by handstand enthusiast Eugene Ahn and appeared on the Internet in the fall of 2006, about two years after Eugene tried his first handstand in a yoga class at Yoga Works' Center for Yoga in Los Angeles.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How do I get to a page that shows all of the person's photos?

A: Easy. If you're looking for a page that shows all photos of a particular person doing a handstand, click on the Handstanders link in the main menu and then find the person's name in the list of handstanders. Underneath the person's name is a count of all that person's handstands. Click on that number.

It works the same if you're looking for a page that shows all photos by a particular person. Click on the Photographers link in the main menu and then find the person's name in the list of photographers. Underneath the person's name is a count of all that person's photographs. Click on that number.



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