How to do headstand
Start in child pose(Balasana). Lift up your torso and sit on your heels. Place your elbows in front of you on the ground.
To measure the right distance, grab with your hands the opposite elbow. Then without changing the elbows bring your hands together, forming a tripod. Interlock your fingers, only the pinky finger remains leveled, touching the floor, one behind of the other.
Then bring the front of the top of your head inside the tripod on the floor with the back of your head touching the inside of the clasped hands.
Without moving arms or head lift up your knees straightening your legs, raising your sit bones up. The body weight should be on your elbows. Make your arms strong and stable.
Start walking with your feet towards your head, feeling lengthening the spine. Stop when your hips are over your head.
Carefully start tu lift up both feet from the floor:
- Bend your knees bringing heels to the buttocks.
- Lift your thighs up aligning them with your spin (knees are still bended, heels touching the glutes)
- Start lengthening the legs towards the ceiling until your torso and legs forms one straight line.
Stay in the headstand for several breaths (or even a few minutes). Then try to come out slowly and controlled, the reverse way as you came in: Bending your knees, lowering down your thighs parallel to the ground and finally bring them towards your chest and your feet back on the ground.
Don’t lift up your head. Let it rest as you shift back in child pose.
Special focus on
head: keep your neck long and your body weight almost completely on the shoulders (only 20% on the head)
control: never jump into sirsasana you can injure yourself heavily. Control your movements and move step by step into the pose. If it’s enough for your to lift up your heels towards your buttocks, knees close to your chest, stay in the first stadium of the pose. There’s no rush to perform the pose completely.
arms: if your arms are not strong enough for the pose, practice dolphin as a preparation!
The headstand (sirsasana) is considered as the king pose of yoga because of its many benefits. As an inversion it gives a rest to the heart and the circulator system. The brain, spinal cord and sympathetic nervous system are supplied with an increased amount of blood rich in nutrients. Disorders of nerves, eyes, ears, nose and throat are improved. Other main benefits of headstand are:
- tones the upper body
- removes toxins from your body
- improves digestion
- balances metabolic functions
- relieves stress, increases calm and focus
- stimulates brain function
- improves self confidence and empathy
neck, head injuries, high blood pressure, pregnancy, headache or cold (blocked nose)