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Pose of the Week Guide: Headstand/Sirsasana

by | May 6, 2021 | About Us, Pose Of The Week Guide

This week’s pose of the week is an opportunity to get upside down and change your perspective! Headstand, or Sirsasana is an inversion, which means that the head is below the heart. Watch out for items around you, just in case you fall over 😉 

Benefits: 

Stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands, strengthens the arms, legs, core and spine. Stimulates the respiratory, digestive and eliminatory systems. 

How to:

  1. If this is your first time attempting this pose, perhaps finding a wall to practice against. If you are returning to your headstand practice, find an open space with lots of room.
  2. Start on your hands and knees in tabletop position.
  3. Bent the elbows and draw the chin towards the heart to place the crown of your head on the Earth in front of the hands.
  4. Track your elbows over the wrists.
  5. Imagine that there is a block in between your arms and you are hugging the arms in towards that block, creating a strong base.
  6. Press down into the fingertips and knuckles of your palm, tuck the toes and lift your knees up off the ground.
  7. Extend the legs to lift the hips towards stacking over the shoulders. If you are feeling wobbly, or unstable, then option to stay here.
  8. Lift the legs one by one off of the ground as you come up into your headstand.
  9. Stack the hips over the shoulders and the ankles over the hips.
  10. Engage the core, quads and hamstrings as you lengthen the torso evenly.
  11. Continue to root down into the palms and reach up through the feet.
  12. Either point the toes while pressing out through the ball of the foot, or flex the feet, spread the toes and press out through the heels. Choose what feels best for you.
  13. Remember to breathe!
  14. If you are starting to feel wobbly or unstable, then bend your knees into the chest and slowly lower back down to the ground.
  15. If you are feeling stable but would like to come out, option to keep the legs straight as you slowly lower the toes back down to Earth.

Modify it:

If you do not have access to a wall or are in a crowded place, avoid lifting both feet up off the earth. Practice lifting one left at a time and holding that leg in the air, building strength. If you feel wobbly when trying to lift the legs up, practice holding Dolphin Pose or Plank pose to build strength first! 

Another option is to lift the hips over the shoulders, bend the knees into the chest and hold there. Keep the knees tucked in so that the feet are close to the ground if you lose your balance.