- Hey, I'm Chloe.
- I'm Destiny.
- And this week, we're gonna try and nail our handstands.
- I really am doing this just to see if I still got it.
Do I still got it?
(beep) (Chloe yelps)
(laughing) (cheering)
(upbeat music)
- I used to do handstands as a kid
'cause I think everyone did
but I haven't really been doing them lately
because I'm not ten.
- Back in my prime,
I probably could do a really solid handstand
but I don't, yeah, as an adult,
I don't know man. I don't know (laughs).
- I love gymnastics and cool yoga moves and stuff like that
so I would love to get better
'cause like surely a handstand can't be that hard.
- I haven't really been as active as I used
to be when I was younger, I guess.
And now that I'm in my late twenties
I wanna see if this body can still get up.
- So my goal for the seven days is to be able to get up
completely straight without falling forwards or backwards.
My extra little goal would be that I could start walking
on my hands but I don't know how realistic that is.
I would say my goal by the end of the week
is I really wanna be able to do the handstand
and then gracefully come out of the handstand.
I feel like all I ever do is just plop and fall.
So today I'm here to learn some tips from a pro for some
skills that I can use to practice throughout the week.
- I am ready to face my fears.
- Hi, I am E.J. Merlin.
I'm a yoga teacher in Los Angeles.
I've been handstanding since I was a little kid.
I love handstands because whenever I'm doing them
it brings me into the current moment.
So if I feel really tired, if I feel distracted,
I feel upset, if I practice some handstands
I just feel focused on what I'm doing
and kind of distracts me from whatever
and brings me a little joy, a little happiness.
I think anyone that wants to can
but you really have to have that intention.
If you don't have a strong desire
then I don't think it's gonna happen.
For a successful handstand,
I think it's a combination of a few things.
You have to have some mobility,
so some shoulder mobility,
some upper back, chest mobility.
You'll also need a lot of strength in those same areas,
in your shoulders, in your arms.
And it's a lot of coordination to be able to balance,
to be able to hold it, it's a lot of components.
(upbeat music)
- So, the first day, the class that we had
was like a crash course in doing handstands.
- She gave us a bunch of tips to like
get the right stance and stuff.
It was so shocking to learn that I had to do it
from a yoga pose and not from standing up.
And then from there we went to like,
locking in your elbows,
tightening your core,
how to bring your knee all the way up to your chest.
There were just so many things that were going on.
I don't know if I actually put most of them into play.
- I never really realized how many muscles you do use.
You are like using just everything.
- I would say the hardest thing about that first skill
was more so the pressure that was being put on my wrists.
I didn't equate it to like wrist aches
and so after doing it so many times I was like,
my wrists hurt.
- My focus for the week was just getting up straight
and utilizing all the things that she had taught me.
- The biggest takeaways I had from this class
was to keep my hips, well what was the thing?
Like not, cause she was like "Your hips"
Open! There we go.
That was the word she used.
(upbeat music)
- Oh (beep).
(laughing)
- Are you okay?
After that crash course I honestly
was very much like this isn't gonna work.
Your girl couldn't get off the ground.
I could not get off the ground.
Going into day two I was very sore
which was surprising for me seeing as I work out
so I was like what is this feeling
I don't know what's happening.
My arms are sore.
So I don't know how this is gonna work.
- The next day I definitely could feel
I have been doing some kind of exercise
'cause I hadn't worked out in a long time.
I tried to do it in my bedroom.
Used my bed as like a jumping off point.
So it was just there, on my own,
hopefully not crashing into my furniture.
I live in a studio, it's not exactly a big space.
(rhythmic music)
- There was of course,
this one day that this guy
decided to be in this room boxing.
And so I'm like, don't mind me
I'm just gonna set my phone up
to record me trying to do a handstand.
If I fall on my face, you know, don't judge.
(upbeat music)
- I feel like if I'd been doing handstands
from standing I would have felt a lot more joyful,
childlike, but I was just grunting
and doing hard yoga on the floor.
- Why the (beep) did you do this?
Ah!
(beep).
I just felt like a really unfit piece of (beep).
People make it look so easy and it is not.
- I tried to switch it up a little bit
like getting into the middle of the week.
I'm gonna try and like kick off of a wall
and see if I can just do it straight up.
And my nerves were like absolutely not,
you're not doing that.
Old girl was taking her legs up but she was just like,
(exhales)
We're just like, limb everywhere.
- Doing handstands in the morning really does wake you up.
Ooh!
- Each day a little bit better
(grunts)
I think next time we'll focus on once I'm up,
staying there and like locking in that position.
(upbeat music)
Day four. A success.
(upbeat music)
- So I'm shooting a video at work today.
I have a little bit of a break
so I guess I'll just do a handstand on this stage.
Right here.
On the floor.
Oh! Yes!
(upbeat music) - I need to warm up.
I had a very big dinner last night and I feel it,
all that Korean barbecue just sitting on me.
And it's not helping me get up. Any.
- It is the second to last day
and I am in a very white room.
I'm too shy to do it in front of everyone at work
so I just sort of grabbed a free stage.
Holy (beep)!
- Hi! We're back in my favorite spot.
And look!
Look who we have here.
How have you been doing? That's what I want to know.
(sighs) I did a few really good ones
but I'm still doing bad ones.
- Really? (laughing)
Yeah. - It's just so inconsistent.
I just get tired really quickly too,
- Same! - So I'm just like,
(panting)
Same! Okay, I thought it was a me thing.
I was like, I'm so out of shape, oh my God.
- No.
(upbeat music)
- In the seven days I was very skeptical.
I was very, very skeptical
but I can honestly see growth from the both of us.
I even pushed myself outside my comfort zone on my last day.
I was like, "Okay Destiny, you're not gonna use this wall."
And y'all, your girl got up.
(laughing)
- [Filmer] That was pretty good!
- I was like, oh!
- I really did see a progression over the days.
Like every day I got up a little higher.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, I stayed up for a second
even though it wasn't straight.
Every day I managed to do a little bit more
or like have more consistency of getting up.
Oh my God!
Woa! Woa! Woa!
- Day one, I could not get up at all and then come day seven
I was getting up three, four times in a row.
(gasps)
- [Filmer] Girl!
I'm sorry, I feel like I might of--
- So now we are at the end of our seven days
so it is time to see how much progress I've actually made.
- Yeah.
(Destiny grunting)
- Mhmm. Mhmm.
(woman filming screams)
(laughing)
I told y'all, growth.
I wouldn't say I got as graceful as I wanted to be
but I'm more graceful than I was starting out.
(uplifting music)
- Ha!
Yeah, I really actually do see a difference.
I'm really straight in the last one,
and the first one, well, I basically can't even get up.
It's really nice to see that seven days actually can make a
difference if you really but your heart into it.
I didn't think this much of a difference actually happened.
Because when you're doing it, you're just progressing
and you don't really see the before and after
but this is like really cool.
- I will say that this challenge has taught me to focus,
taught me to slow down, pace myself,
and then leap with faith.
Do do! What's up?
(laughing)
Oh!
(laughing)
- Oh (beep)
(laughing)
(upbeat music)