HEAD STAND (SHIRSHASANA)
शीर्षासन
संस्कृत – शीर्षासन
ASANA – POSE
PRONOUNCED AS – shir-shh-shana
STYLE – ASHTANGA YOGA
CHAKRA – AJNA / SAHASRAR
LEVEL – ADVANCE
HOW TO DO HEADSTAND –
Begin with rabbit pose , place your elbows shoulder width apart on the mat and put your arms horizontally out in front of you Wrap a hand around each elbow without lifting your elbows off the floor.
Without moving the elbows from their position, shift the hands forwards till they meet and clasp your fingers together making a nice little bed for your head, your elbows and hands should form a triangle.
Place your head into the clasped fingers. Make sure that there isn’t a lot of pressure on the head by pushing up from the shoulders. The weight needs to be on your arms.
Adjust your head so the top of your cranium is directly on the ground and your hands are resting in the back of your head. Do not move your elbows.
Straighten your legs just as you would do in downward dog or dolphin pose and start to walk the feet in towards the head with small steps.
As you walk, your spine will straighten out above your head and you will notice your weight slowly shift from your feet to your elbows. When you can’t walk further, push your elbows into the ground.
Once the upper body is able to balance, use your core to slowly bend your knees and bring them into the chest, slowly lifting the feet off the floor.
Slowly start to stretch the legs upwards till you are in an upright position. All the work is done using your core and tightening your abs will make sure the legs stay up.
Hold with deep and long breath.
HEALTH BENEFITS HEADSTAND –
Sirsasana or Headstand is a pose with many health benefits It relaxes blood flow to the lower extremities improving swelling and venous congestion, releases the adrenal glands and kidneys, allows the heart to relax in the pericardium, and increases blood flow to the head, neck, and face.
PRECAUTION –
Avoid Headstand if there is recent abdominal surgery, Spinal, and Lower back Injury.
Avoid this asana if you have a heart condition high blood pressure and migraine.