#(not counting riding like five feet on a small child's bicycle to amuse a small child while babysitting)

[tj-crochets]

It's weird question time again! More detail below a read more, but short version: Do any of y'all with POTS/dysautonomia have any advice for how to do headstands and/or handstands safely? Besides "don't"? I know handstands are probably a no-go, but with a headstand I figure I'm already on the ground, I can't fall down

So the other day I did a few headstands and it genuinely felt like it helped a bit with my blood pressure issues. I mean, it's kind of impossible to tell yet if it actually helped or if I was just so excited to be able to do something like handstands again that I just felt better, but it was nice! I want to do more headstands but my dad is concerned I will end up falling and hurting myself. Some (mostly relevant) backstory: I got POTS when I was a teenager because I got sick and had what I think is called post viral syndrome. It's been more than a decade. I still have POTS. The first year or so was bad, then I had like a year, year and a half "intermission" where I was doing extremely high intensity exercise several days a week* and mostly doing okay POTS-wise. Then I moved, got metaphorically hit over the head with severe allergies, and got abruptly way sicker. Right before I moved and started getting sicker, I started learning how to do handstands. I got to the point where I was somewhat decent, and then had to stop, because I was dizzy enough sitting still that trying to be upside down was a bad idea. Now, I am extremely excited that I might get to start getting back to that again. It's like when I started being able to hit a punching bag again; like, sure it's five minutes like twice a month instead of like two hours two or three times a week, but still!! It's a hobby I thought I'd never get to do again!!!! Sure, it's not handstands and I can't progress from headstands to walking on my hands, which was my original goal, but it's a step in the right direction! My dad is really worried I'm going to fall over, though. I do have a uh...very extensive training, both accidental and on purpose, in How Not To Fall and also How to Fall Without Getting Hurt, from a combination of childhood clumsiness, musical theater, martial arts, and my mom having taught both kickboxing and self-defense throughout a large chunk of my childhood, so I'm not concerned about falling, but I tend to respect his opinion on things like this (he's a former EMT). Do you have any advice on how to practice headstands safely, especially for people with POTS? *first dance rehearsals for a musical like 3-4 hours a day 6 days a week for a few weeks, then a form of martial arts my dad saw one sparring day and called "brutal but very effective" lol