head pressure in a headstand

Hi,

I'm a foundation one subscriber but am interested in starting to work my way up to handstands.  Any time I attempt to get upside down, there is enormous pressure on my head, face, and eyes and so I have to give up quickly.  After just a few seconds my eyes are bloodshot.  It feels like any more time and I'll bust a blood vessel in my eyes or something.  I don't know if this is relevant or not but I am 6'6" tall.  What's up with this issue?  Is it something I can overcome somehow or should I just forget about handstands?

Thank you,

Ben

Hi Ben,

Your body will get used to being inverted but needs to be gradually introduced to it. My recommendation is to start the handstand one course and begin training the more basic inverted handstand progressions. These will allow your body to get more used to inversion and make it much more comfortable. 

Hi Ben, in yoga we used to get used to inversion by laying on our backs on the floor and propping up the legs on a wall at roughly 90 degrees, its a very soft way to get used to inversions.

Thanks. About how long will it take to get comfortable being upside down from the point I'm at now?

Hi Ben,

There is no set formula for how long this will take you just need to give your body time to the demands that you place on it. Patience is key here.