getting my head around head stands
Most yoga teachers would agree that a student should wait until they have at least a year of regular yoga practice before attempting a head stand with assistance. I had years of experience and still found the idea of head stands out of my reach. When our first lock down hit in March 2020 in Ireland I decided to set my self some goals. The goals were all around trying something I had previously written off as unachievable for me. One of these was head stands. I’m still working on it over a year and a half later but amazed at how far I’ve come and how much stronger and confident I feel.
A head stand or Sirsasana is an inversion that can alleviate anxiety and stress. It can help with lymphatic drainage and body circulation. The increased blood flow to the upper body is said to help to prevent headaches and improve focus. Stimulates the pituitary and pineal gland and is linked with the crown chakra. Strengthens the upper body and core. For me it showed me that we are all capable of anything that we put our minds to if we are patient, accepting that small steps will get you there, and can take the stumbles along the way.
As with all of the more challenging asanas I would recommend that head stands are practiced with a yoga instructor. When I first began practice I realised that I was putting too much pressure on my head and began to develop neck pain. Once I backed off for a few weeks and focused on the earlier preparatory steps my upper body strength improved taking the pressure off my head and neck, allowing me to practice without injuring myself. Here is what I worked on to get to where I am today
1) Learn to tumble and get comfortable falling over: In the early days of practice I quickly realised that I had forgotten how to tumble and had to learn again. I watched my kids and with some tips from my husband who trains in Jiu Jitsu I got up to scratch with this after a few weeks. I was terrified in the beginning so used plenty of pillows, bean bags and the soft ground on the green in our estate.
2)Get strong with regular practice: I practiced a flow of puppy pose to dolphin pose to down dog to plank and return. I also practiced walking my dolphin pose by walking my feet towards and away from my face in this position. After hurting my neck on my first few supported headstand tries I stopped and just practiced these asanas nearly every day for a few weeks before trying supported head stands again. I haven’t had any neck issues since. The preparation is probably the most important step.
3) Increase the base of support: Think a camera balancing on a tripod. The first head stand I mastered was a tripod head stand. This type of head stand will put more pressure on the head and neck so I advise using a pillow and a wall. It allowed me to play with arm balances in the tripod position too which is a fun way to increase arm and upper body strength.
4) Use props: Walls, doorways, sofas, benches, blocks, cushions. Once I got stronger and more confident after a few months of working on steps 1-3 I began getting more playful with the use of props. A few times a day I would spend a few minutes messing around usually with my children using pillows, bean bags and walls. We’ve had to stick to a few walls in the house now as we are ruining them with our paw marks!! I find two walls facing each other or a door way is a great way to work on the eccentric control which is required on the return journey out of the head stand. Crawling the tip toes slowly down the wall or door way really assists the eccentric work and the core control required.
5) Have fun and know when to stop: Playing with headstands has been a good lesson for me in resilience, patience and playfulness. It’s fun! But I’m also learning about my fine line between fun and competitiveness. If I become too focused on achieving the asana and I push through fatigue I will injure myself. I forget about the lessons I’m learning about my body, breath and mind while carrying out asana practice. This is an ongoing process for me and my ego!
Have fun!! Namaste.
Disclaimer: Content on yogaspace.ie is not a substitute for in person medical or health professional assessment and advice. If you have concerns about your health always seek out a medical professional assessment. I setup yogaspace.ie to authentically share my learning experiences as I practice yoga. My experiences are influenced by my background in physiotherapy but content posted is not affiliated with any health body/organisations or professional body. The content reflects my experiences and my views and should not be taken as personal health advice. Always practice yoga under the supervision and guidance of a qualified yoga instructor. I assume no responsibility and am not liable for any injury or loss sustained that may result from practicing yoga or in connection with any of the content posted on yogaspace.ie
