For the longest time I told myself I shouldn't work postures like Handstand and Forearm Balance at the wall. It was a crutch and my goal was to do the postures in the middle of the room. Once I figured out the mechanics of the postures at the wall it was time to take the training wheels off, right?

Turns out I was kind of wrong.

Even though Handstand is a pretty reliable posture in my practice I have found that timing myself at the wall helps me develop a deeper understanding of the posture and gain more strength. At the wall I'm not concerned about potentially kicking my neighbor or falling down in a spectacular display. At the wall I'm able to focus on where my weight is being distributed and ways to finesse the posture. What's engaged? What's starting to disengage? What small shifts can I make in my physical alignment so that I can breathe more deeply

Even better, I can time myself and work toward a goal. Balancing in the middle of the room in Handstand is one thing, but holding Handstand at the wall for two whole minutes is another thing. Start small. Perhaps you set a timer for 15 seconds. Eventually add an additional 15 seconds and see how it goes. It's a great exercise in focus and concentration. Try it out!