What is śiraśāsana (headstand pose)?
Śiraśāsana, or the headstand pose, is an āsana where the practitioner balances the entire body on the head, using the cupped hands and elbows as support. This is an advanced āsana, and one must learn it under the supervision of an expert yoga practitioner.
How should one practice śiraśāsana? (Under supervision only)
- Sthithi (starting) position: Spread a thick cloth pad against a wall.
- Kneeling in front of the pad, bend forward and place both hands on the spread to form a “V” at an angle of approximately 60 degrees.
- Keep your palms facing your body with fingers interlaced.
- Next, place the top of your head firmly on the pad and in the cradle of your interlaced hands so that the palms support the back of the head.
- Slowly lift both knees and move your legs up so that your torso rises, till it is vertical with the head.
- Leveraging with elbows, shoulder, and lower back muscles, lift off the ground smoothly.
- As you raise your torso, keep your knees together. Get into an upside-down position.
- Stabilize position and straighten legs. It is important to keep the neck rigid.
- After sufficient practice, one could begin doing this exercise away from a wall.
- In this case, after lifting legs off the ground, fold them at the knees for balance before straightening.
- Hold the body straight and rigid in the final position.
- Maintain normal breathing.
- Focus on the movement of consciousness (citta) in the brain.
- Come down to the sthithi (starting) position by reversing the cycle. Relax.
- Importantly, wait at the sthithi (starting position) for blood supply to normalise before getting up.
- Start with 10 seconds initially. Normal cycle is 3 to 20 minutes. However, one can also split the practice into two periods of 3 to 10 minutes each, with a 2-minute break in between.
- The dṛṣṭi (gaze) recommended is ūrdhva–dṛṣṭi (open sky gaze).
What are the benefits of śiraśāsana practice?
- This āsana infuses oxygen-rich blood into the central nervous system. As a result, the brain cells are invigorated, waste is cleaned and removed. The oxygen supply stabilizes the brain’s metabolic activity. Therefore, this exercise is good for improving overall brain function and development.
- The eyes, eye muscles, and retinal nerves are flushed with oxygen-impregnated blood. Hence, this āsana is very good for eye health.
- This āsana energises the pituitary glands, hypothalamus and thalamus, which control the functioning of testes in men, and all the endocrine organs such as the thyroid and adrenaline glands.
- The downward force of blood also helps in infusing blood to the ears, eyes, mucous tissues, and salivary glands.
- The focus on breathing at the throat balances ear pressure.
- Good for maintaining body fat balance, since the pituitary also regulates the balance between
water and salt in the body fluids through the kidneys. - Also, the downward pressure of the colon contents increases peristalsis and cures constipation.
- The cartilage in the spine gets exercised and rejuvenated because of reverse pressure on the spine.
What are the possible contraindications for the headstand pose?
- If you have any form of backache, do not attempt this āsana without adequate supervision and support.
- People with cardiac problems, lower back problems, and circulatory disorders should not attempt this āsana.
- Those having neck ailments like cervical or lumbar spondylosis, or arthritis, should not attempt the śiraśāsana.
- People with kidney ailments, hernia, etc., should avoid this āsana.
- Women should not practice this āsana during menstruation or pregnancy.
Some noteworthy points on the headstand pose:
Internal Links: Dharma (conditioning), Stress and Situational Awareness, Prana, Asana sequence, Asana schedule, Asana Focus or gazing, Pranayama, Hatha Yoga Pradeepika
External Links: Prana, Chakra, Pancha Tattva, Pancha Prana, Pancha Kosha, Nadi,
- Ensure that you are physically fit before performing this āsana.
- Do not relax the abdomen. It can cause collapse of the walls and tearing of the inguinal hernia.
- Do not relax the neck, shoulder, and back when performing the āsana, as this could lead to accidents.
- Needless to say, this āsana will also benefit the thyroid. Indeed, this āsana is indispensable for bringing balance to the endocrine system.
- When the āsana is being performed, there will be an increased flow of oxygen-impregnated blood to the brain. Consequently, there is increased pressure within the head. So, do not perform this āsana for a long duration initially. Allow the body to acclimatise itself to the increased blood flow and then increase the duration.
- Since the blood supply to the head is increased dramatically, do not rise off the ground immediately after completing this āsana. Quick movement could result in loss of stability and balance. Resume the sthiti (starting) position and wait for the blood supply to normalise before standing up.