What’s Inside?
What is Headstand
The Benefits of Headstand
How to Do Headstand
Safety Tips for Doing Headstand
Situations You Should Avoid Doing Headstand
If you are a passionate yoga practitioner or a yoga enthusiast doing yoga pretty regularly as part of your daily practice there is no doubt that you might have at least tried once doing Headstand. Many will be curious and overwhelmed to practice this challenging pose as it tests your whole strength and body; from your head to your toes, while improving your balance and enhancing your concentration.
What is Headstand
‘Sirsha’ in Sanskrit means ‘head’ and ‘asana’ means ‘posture’, so Sirsasana is a yoga asana that is done on the head. Headstand or Shirshasana is an advanced yoga inversion. Headstand is considered to be a master cure asana for many diseases. The headstand is one of the most effective asanas for the body and mind. While mastering the headstand requires some strength, a determined mind with utmost patience, concentration and flexibility can have mastery over this king of asanas.
Benefits of Doing Headstand
Headstands is recommended for numerous health benefits. Its multifaceted benefits made this asana popular and here are some of the key benefits.
- Activates your parasympathetic nervous system, ensuring the proper function of all internal processes such as digestion and elimination as well as hormonal balance.
- Lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, and therefore gives your heart a rest.
- Highly beneficial for varicose veins and haemorrhoids.
- Increases blood flow and blood pressure within your head and therefore supplies your brain with an abundance of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood.
- Strengthen the upper body, spine, and core
- Activate the pituitary and pineal glands
- Improves and corrects eye, nose, and throat ailments.
- Corrects general fatigue and lack of vitality, and improves and prevents depression and anxiety.
- Helps to prevent headaches and migraine.
- Improves memory and concentration.
- Boosts digestion and cures constipation as it releases gravitational compression on the colon.
- Improves blood flow to scalp and face and naturally revitalizes both. (Skin glow and prevent hair loss)
- Strengthens deep core muscles and back muscles.
- Lightens symptoms of menopause
How to do Headstand
- Spread your arms, keep it right underneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips
- As you put your forearms down, keep your elbows directly under your shoulders.
- Now you can interlock your fingers to form a cup. Keeping the elbows down there, bring the hands closer and interlock the fingers so that your arms form a triangle.
- Place the crown of your head on the floor, with the back of your head held by your cupped hands. Your should not be too forward or back. Keeping your head and your elbows there, straighten your knees and lift your hip upward.
- Keeping your weight on your elbows, walk with your feet in toward your head, keeping your knees straight. Your hips should be closer to the chest.
- Bring your right knee to your chest, and your left knee to your chest. As you lift your foot off the floor, bring your knees toward your chest, one at a time.
- Take a deep breath while holding this position and pushing your elbows into the floor. Slowly straighten your legs toward the ceiling while keeping your knees bent and together. You can hold this position for 60 seconds. Focus on a point, keep pushing your elbows into the floor, and breathe slowly and deeply.
Coming out of Headstand:
In a headstand, releasing from the pose is just as important as going into and holding it. You have to come out slowly but with control.
- To come out of the pose, you have to keep one foot toward the ceiling, and with control, gently lower the other foot to the floor.
- Relax in the Child’s Pose for 30 seconds. Concentrate on tension releasing from your back, neck and shoulders.
Safety Tips for Doing Headstand
Headstand is sometimes tricky and intimidating even for experienced and qualified yoga instructors. Many yoga teachers won’t teach the asana unless they implement certain safety measures to do it safely.
- Place a few folded blankets or cushions on the floor around you.
- In cases of high stress, sleep disturbances, fatigue, or other psychosocial factors affecting your wellbeing, this pose should be avoided.
- Distribute your weight correctly into the forearms or hands
- Engage your core fully
- Find the correct spot on your head before placing it on the floor
Normally, it’s better to gain a little strength and flexibility before trying a headstand.
Situations You Should Avoid Doing Headstand
Headstand can cause much damage if not done properly, it is a pose that should be learned and practiced strictly under the supervision of a yoga instructor. However, there are some situations where you cannot practice Headstand.
Students should not practice Headstand in the following conditions:
- Hypertension and high blood pressure
- Cardiovascular issues
- People with shoulder and neck issues
- Recent surgery or inflammation in the head region
- Arthritis
- Brain injuries
- Lower-back and spinal issues (e.g. chronic pain, herniated disc, sciatica, SI-joint instability)
- Acute migraine or headache
- People with asthma or other breathing disorders
- Glaucoma and eye injury
- Practitioner younger than seven, because the skull is still a bit soft and it is safer not to place weight on it yet.
- Pregnant women as there are a high risk of falling out of the pose
Conclusion
Take your practice to the next level by incorporating the king of asana, into your routine and unreveal the more confident and powerful you through your steady and constant personal practice of yoga.
