There’s no doubt that you’ve heard of countless ways to blow off steam when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. There’s running, dancing, meditating, taking a long, hot bath, hiking, writing in a journal, or just flat out yelling like a barbarian! The point is, there are a lot of options. But here’s one you’ve probably never heard of before, and it’s just as simple as the other methods…

A handstand. Yup! Just a good old-fashioned handstand.

“If you feel like you’ve got the world on your shoulder, do a handstand and have the world at your feet.”

We’ve got some handstand enthusiasts on the RDF team, and they’ll be the first to tell you that when you’re feeling angry or overwhelmed, just plant your hands on the ground, kick your feet in the air, and let all those negative emotions drain right back into the earth.

A New York Times article offered an interesting perspective on this, explaining that a handstand is a way to let go. It’s all about reconnecting with the ground and trusting it in a new way — a white flag of surrender planted in the soil, hands first. Handstands allow you to see the world in a new way. Your body experiences space with a new orientation. That experience alone is a worthwhile endeavor, because seeing the world differently, even for a minute can sometimes put the right-sided world in perspective.

So the next time you’re ready to throw your hands up and quit, just keep going with that momentum and flip upside down instead! Even if you have to use a wall. As long as your feet are in the air, it counts!

Try it for yourself and let us know how it goes.

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