Handstand Diary

China, like the Ukraine, is known for bringing out incredible handbalancers and circus acrobats, some of them very young. Ellen Grow, who I met at the Bali Handstand Retreat spent 18 months training there at the Beijing International Art School. So I asked her if she would be willing to share her experience. Even though she was there about ten years ago, I thought it was worth sharing with you guys. Today Ellen performs with her group One Fell Swoop Circus. Actually they are currently doing shows at the fringe festival! So go watch them if you have a chance! Also go and check out Ellen’s Instagram: @ellen_jayne Feel free to leave any comments in the section down below. Of course everybody’s training experience is unique and it’s great to hear other people’s stories! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Guys, I’ve been dying to show you this one. I think I don’t need to explain who Yulya Mihailova is, as she is probably the most famous female handbalancer and contortionist in the circus world and the world of social media. After meeting her husband, Andrii Bondarenko, I was determined to get to meet her too and share our conversation with all of you. She is a shining star and has been on stage with the Cirque du Soleil show Amaluna for over 8 years. At the time we met (in June 2019) she had just left the show and was generous enough to spend some time with us and share some of her story and why she decided to leave. In this interview she tells us about how she got started in handbalance and how her mother was against her going down this kind of carreer path at first. She also tells us about her relationship with her husband Andrii, her two daughters and how difficult it is to have the family in one place, given the nature of their jobs. When I met her I was struck by her amazing charm and kindness. Yulya is such a sweet person, a strong woman and has so much to give. She has so many interesting stories to tell, she could easily write a book about her life as a performer, coach, mother and wife. I hope she finds the time someday to execute on that! I was lucky, because I got to meet with her during an interesting time for her, where she was at the beginning of a new stage in her life, moving on to new projects. She and Andrii are not only stars on the stage, but are starting to teach more and more across the globe (#couplegoals). I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! I’m sure you already follow Yulya on Instagram, but if you don’t, go do it right now! IG: @djilieta P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

In this interview Alexander Hart shares his path to becoming a high-level handbalancer with us and insights he had along the way. After our interview Alex shared a quote with me that I think describes his motives in a perfect way: “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” – Socrates Unfortunately we were very limited in time – Alex is a busy man. So we had to keep the interview short. Nevertheless I really hope you enjoy watching it and it inspires you to work towards your own full potential! Let your handstand practice be fueled by him, just like he was fueled by others he saw youtube videos of. If you want to see more of Alex, go and follow him on Instagram: @alexanderxart P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Here's to all of you overthinkers out there. This message is one I needed to hear for sure: Think less and do more Pieti was one of the amazing students we met during our visit at the Kyiv Academy for Circus and Variety Arts. I could talk to him for hours and hours, as he has quite a lot of thoughts on anything regarding handbalance and its practice. You can definitely tell that he likes to analyze things and has the mind of a scientist. I really hope you enjoy this interview as the main key takeaways are so valuable: - Focus on the actual balance action in your hands/arms - Stick with one technique and grind it out Check out Pieti's Instagram and follow him: @pietikirkkopelto P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Kaisa’s story is one of the most amazing I’ve ever heard. It shows that sometimes less is more and that a sudden breakthrough is possible in handbalance, too. She basically went from a wobbly straddle one arm to all the one arm shapes in a matter of a few months. She just finished her first year in Kyiv and has big plans for her future. When I saw her flags for the first time, I fell in love. I’m so glad I can share this interview with you, since she was hesitant at the beginning, because of her language skills. So I hope you enjoy and appreciate that she went out of her comfort zone to share her story with us! Follow Kaisa on Instagram: @kaisaaurora P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Here's to all of you injured people. Don't take it to serious. It will pass! It's been quite a while since we last posted. Ivo and I had some big life changes going on and were quite overwhelmed. But we are back. And we are having a blast. Stay tuned for more interviews with epic handbalancers and new tutorials! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

I have rarely seen any person being as driven as Mihaela. She knows exactly what she wants and you can feel her laser sharp focus when you watch her practice. But I was actually really surprised when she told me her life goals during our interview. So I hope you enjoy this interview. It's an immensely valuable one in my opinion. Especially for all the aspiring female handbalancers, who are looking for some sense of direction. Follow Mihaela on Instagram! @mihaelaaureliakarkia P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Today I'll talk to Luis Landa, my mexican friend who decided to teak a leap and move to another continent to persue his dream. His progress eversince he came to Kiev has been amazing and his dedication and passion are very inspiring. But it's not always just flowers and rainbows when you train in Kiev. Most of the time, the handbalance life is hard and frustrating. So I was very greatful for Luis to be so honest and open up about the hardships and how he overcomes them and keeps going. If you wanna know more about Luis and check out more of his handstands or get in touch with him, follow him on instagram: @luisvlanda P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

This episode is about a little hero I met here in Kiev. Kim just finished her first year at the Circus School and tells us about what she's experiencing, being in one of the best schools (or probably even THE best school) for handbalance. I knew her a little from Instagram, but when I met her in real life, I was fascinated by her spirit and persona. She is like a little ball of energy with big ambitions and a lot of courage. What struck me the most was that she was so brave to choose her own path, even though there is no circus or sports background in her family. Coming to a foreign country with a different culture and a language you don't understand isn't easy for sure. But she knows what she wants and she is willing to work for it. Check out her Instagram and her Youtube channel for her tutorials! IG: @xkimaliciax Youtube: xkimaliciax P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Since we are spending some time in Kiev all around handbalancers, we decided to do a fun little Q&A. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

How exciting to meet Ulrik again after such a long time. It's been about a year since our first interview. He came to Vienna to perform at the "Bodyweight Day", a big bodyweight training convention, where different sports an disciplines meet. And afterwards he gave a workshop and I got the pleasure to learn from him and hang out togehter. Enjoy our second interview in which he offers us his fresh view on things and tells us about his first experiences in performing! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

This was a pleasant, but unexpected experience! When we were in Amsterdam to visit some family over New Years, we wanted to connect with Max, a fellow handstand nerd, who I've been connecting with over Instagram for a while. Little did I know that he and Ivo had planned to do an interview with me! I guess this time I'll promote my own website then ;). If you are a handstand nerd too, head over to www.handstanddiary.com and subscribe to all sorts of videos, revolving around the subject of handstands! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

This time I got the pleasure to meet master Yuval Ayalon, who has been around for years and influenced a great number of people in the handstand community. In this interview he tells us about his journey, how he got into performing and handbalancing. We also get to talk about his thoughts on a handstand practice and the journey to a one arm handstand. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

In this interview Neven Gerenčir, student at INAC in Portugal, tells us all about how handbalance changed his life and himself as a person. For me, he is a perfect example of how handbalance can be so much more than just an activity or a skill. For many of us (me included, obviously) it can be a means to connect with people, who appreciate you the way you are and understand you. It can be a means to get in touch with yourself and literally help you stay mentally and physically sane through it's meditative and focused, body and mind connecting characteristics. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

First time I saw a post of Mau Jara on Instagram (@maujara) just a few months back, I was amazed. This guy was staying on his hands forever, was jumping onto his hands on tables and playing around. And it looked as if all the strength moves were just another random thing for him. At that point I thought: where has this guy been all this time I've been connecting with people about handbalance?? We went to Porto, where he teaches at the circus school INAC to visit him and learn from him. And as always we made an effort to capture some of the insights in the form of an interview :). P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Paul Twyman is a “late starter” on the handstand journey, which is even more impressive knowing that he has a big family to take care of. On top of that he just recently opened his own gym “Aspen Coaching” in Perth, together with some friends. You can absolutely tell that Paul has a huge passion for handstands and teaching comes to him very naturally. He’s had a huge impact on the development of the amazing handstand community in Perth, that I had so much fun immersing myself in. So I hope you enjoy this interview, where Paul talks about his journey and specifically what he learned about the practice towards a one arm handstand. This guy is full of good insights! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

David Marion, a great gymnastics and movement coach I met in Perth talks about his experiences in his own training and coaching. He's probably one of the most stubborn guys I've met so far, when it comes to keep working on yourself despite of unfavourable circumstances. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

This weeks episode is with Harry Williams (@holisticmovement on Instagram), one of the best handbalance coaches in the Perth community of movers. In this interview we go into detail about handbalance technique and form and why an individual style is more favourable. The large amount of students he's been coaching online and in real life over the last few years has included all kinds of different people with different goals and levels. This has made him very savvy in being able to help different kinds of individuals to get where they want with their training. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

I was super excited to meet Lewis Yost (aka Lew Dog Millionaire), the young handbalance prodigy of Perth. He's only 17 years old and has gotten to a pretty high level in relation to the short time he's been handbalancing. Scroll through his Instagram @lewis_handbalancing to see what I'm talking about. In this episode he tells us about how he got started practicing at his fridge, cause his Mom didn't want him to dirty the wall. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

In this interview Andrii Bondarenko tells us about his life as a performer, the good side and the sacrifices that come with it. He is currently the solo handbalancer of the Show KURIOS by Cirque du Soleil, performing a very hard act, where he balances on chairs. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Head Coach and co-founder of GMB Fitness, Ryan Hurst tells us about his perspectives on the importance of building awareness during the process of learning skills, such as the handstand. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

At first it was their beautiful backbend handstands that caught my attention and made me curious. But as I got to know them I realized that there was a whole world behind that. In this interview they tell us about their handstand practice and how it has influenced their development as human beings. We also talk about the role handstands play in yoga vs. other purely physical contexts. Both of them have a unique way of going about their practice, which I find very interesting and I'm sure that it makes them a great team, since they seem to complement eachother perfectly. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Meet the man who inspired me to start my handbalancing journey exactly one year ago. It was just now that I got the chance to meet him in person and learn from him. Miguel Sant'ana is one of the best known handstand teachers out there. He also has a very authentic way and style of teaching that can best be understood through your own experience. His way of teaching is very physical and direct and his passion for teaching and for the art in itself plays a huge role in the way he does it. As he says, he gives you a piece of himself when he teaches. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

I was very fortunate to finally get to work with the Splits Wizard Emmet Louis. He is especially known for his ability to unlock flexibility in adults. Little did I know that he is about so so so much more than big flexibility gains. While spending some time with him at the Handstand Factory Launch Retreat I got to learn about unexpected things like Da Xuan practices, Gua Sha and I got to try aerial straps for the first time. But what struck me the most is Emmets clear way of seeing things in regards to physical development. He definitely managed to change my view on my own practice and opened up a new world to me. Emmet and Miakel Kristiansen just finished designing their new online program called the Handstand Factory. It is specifically tailored to people who are looking for the next step after two arm handstands and want to learn the one arm handstand. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Yuri is one of the most reflective teachers I know and he has a lot of valuable things to say about any subject in movement really. Having taught himself without really having been guided by any coach or teacher, he got to where he is today mostly by practicing by himself and reflecting upon it. His engagement on social media and on the internet in general make it easy for anybody who is interested in learning acrobatic skills to get some knowledge, ideas and inspiration from him. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

I got to meet Sascha Bachmann aka the Germinator. Not only is he a total beast when it comes to his skills, but I also had one of the best handbalance sessions with him that was filled with new insights for my own practice. This guy is awesome! After studying at the National Circus School of Montreal for 5 years, Sascha is now performing in different shows across the globe. In this interview he shares a little bit of his experience with us about his life as a performer and how he manages his training and recovery. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

After having talked to his brother Josh last week, I'm excited to present this interview with Morgan, his younger brother. This time we talked a bit more about their next steps after having reached such a high level in such a short amount of time. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

In this interview with Josh he tells us about his take on the mental game. He tells us about different personality types he has seen to work well with what is required to get to a high level in handbalance. He has a very interesting perspective on this and has managed to open my mind. So enjoy the interview! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Helgi Freyr, one of three owners of the gym Primal Iceland, has changed his entire life during the last five years, since he started to move his body. In this interview he tells us about his journey from being overweight and having a torn adductor to being known as the handstand coach of Iceland and being able to do one arm handstands and splits. P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

If you have a hard time making sense of how you should practice your handstands, this video is for you. Mikael Kristiansen is one of the best known handstand coaches in the field, trying to make handstands and everything related understandable intellectually as well as physically. If you've ever been to any of his workshops, I'm sure you've had some aha-moments, as he has a very clear and comprehensible way of explaining things around handbalance to get a general understanding about technique and the practice. He himself is a circus artist specialised in handbalance freelancing his way through life. And eventhough he is very appreciated by many handbalance practitioners for not sugarcoating the path to learning handstands, you can tell right away that there is so much to Mikael as just the skill. He is an artist at heart and we're curious to see his next big project the Handstand Forest! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Todays episode is about the guy who has helped me with my training for the last 7 months. Ulrik Ask Fossum is a handbalancer (I guess by now we can call him that) and coach. He has laser-sharp focus and knows exactly what he wants. That's why he goes and gets it! But it's not all bunnies and butterflies. Here he tells us about the up and down game, the hard work he had to do and the kind of commitment he decided to take to become good at handbalance. If you are just starting out, but you are hooked on learning a one-arm-handstand some day, this episode is a must watch! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support

Have you always dreamed of following your passion of being a handbalancer, a dancer or even being on stage, but you think you're too old to start? Meet Christine, who started Poledancing at the age of 51 and is about to prepare for her first international competition! You will hear about what it's like to take a big leap in your life at an age, where most people already think about retirement. Christine is as inspiring to you as she is to me? Come on over to www.handstanddiary.com/nevertoolate and share what it is you wanna do, but haven't managed to come around yet in the comments! P.S.: Consider supporting us so we can keep producing content! It's never too late to do what you love, Soundschi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/handstand-diary/support