Finding Balance in Handstand

Self taught handstand balancer and circus artist Mau Jara On Journey And Finding Balance

Sasha Sosniak
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“Balance in Handstand cannot be taught. It must be found,” a wise man once said. That wise man is a really incredible one arm Handstand master, Mau Jara. Born in Costa Rica and living his best life teaching at a circus school in Portugal, Mau was the perfect person for our friend Soundschi to interview during her travels. He is a fountain of knowledge.

Mau Jara was always really strong and he was able to use that strength to muscle into a lot of postures pretty quickly. However he soon found value in slowing down and learning proper form. With form in mind, he now approaches his teaching very methodically.

To find balance in Handstand, Mau also recommends the following:

-Remember that starting is the hardest part! Develop a routine and you will find value in anything you do. 

-Incorporate strength and flexibility training into your programming. 

-Make sure to incorporate drills into your training as well. Simply working on skills won’t do; drills build stamina and strength to accomplish what you need. 

-To planche or not to planche? Your choice, but know that you do not need to know how to planche in order to learn Handstand. 

Mau also offers some great words of wisdom regarding figuring out what you would like to train for and why:

-Use social media for inspiration, nothing else.

-Don’t compare yourself to others and pass judgement on them or on yourself.

-Be on your own journey! Practice what you want to learn! 

-Don’t worry about what skills you are going to accomplish and when. Work towards them because the WORK is the fun part! 

Basically, enjoying training means enjoying it all – even the frustrations and the struggles. They are part of the overall process. 

Ready to be even more inspired? Check out the full interview:

Our journey with Soundschi has moved on from Perth to Portugal. If you would like to ask her a question, leave a comment on her YouTube feed. You can also visit her website directly.

Stay tuned for next week’s Handstand goodness as Soundschi explores more of Portugal.

Peace.

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