Also known as the king of asanas, Headstand (Shirshasana) has unlimited benefits. However, it is a little complex to practice for beginners. Worry not! We have broken down it into a few easy steps that will help you master Headstand (Shirshasana) without any hassle. Let’s get started.
Headstand (Shirshasana) is a physical asana in which a person stands on his or her head. When you practice Headstand (Shirshasana), you can either do free Headstand (Shirshasana) or can have support with your elbows or a nearby wall.
Tip: You should learn how to balance your body upside down to hold this pose for a longer time.
Also Read: How to balance doshas
Step 1
You should use some padding so that your head and forearms do not hurt. Slowly kneel down on the floor and place your hands near your head. Set the top of your head on the ground and ensure your head is completely balanced. For further support, clasp your hands and wrap them around your head. Spread elbows on the ground for better grip on the ground.
Step 2
Breathe in and lift your legs up with a gentle push. Slowly move your feet towards your elbows and raise your hips towards the ceiling. If you are flexible, make sure your legs are straight while you form an ‘inverted V’ with your body. Make sure you push your shoulder blades to engage your upper back and neck muscles.
Step 3
With a slow exhale and a sudden push, lift your legs up towards the ceiling. If possible, take both feet at the same time in the air. Further, you can slightly bend your knees in case it is too much for you to handle. Engage your core and thigh muscles while raising them over your head.
Step 4
Hold your legs straight over your head while continuously trying to balance your body. In case you are afraid of falling on your back, make sure you practice Headstand (Shirshasana) near a wall. That way you can rest assured to have support in case you lose your balance. Also, squeeze your core and engage various core-supporting muscles. Further, point your feet towards the ceiling for the best engagement of your legs.
To ensure your body stays upside down, you need to engage your core muscles. Continuous engagement of abdominal muscles makes your core stronger. Moreover, it increases the connection between supporting muscles and the abdominal area.
Read about: Yoga Bandhas
Standing on your legs can lead to inflammation or swelling in your leg muscles. When you practice Headstand (Shirshasana), your legs are upside down. This releases fluids built up in your legs. Further, it releases fatigue and pressure build-up in your legs.
Practicing Headstand (Shirshasana) increases the strength of your arms and shoulders. It also keeps the pressure off your head. Hence, the headstand pose is perfect for you to strengthen your arms.
The Headstand benefits you by improving your neck strength. It ensures your neck stays away from any sort of injury. Further, more power in your neck helps your body balance yourhead . It saves your vital organs from any sudden jerks.
Stress usually seeps into your body through your head, arms, legs, and shoulders. Practicing Headstand (Shirshasana) works on these compound muscles and removes any stress engulfed in them. Moreover, practicing headstand improves the blood flow that ensures your central nervous system works more efficiently.
Every cell, element, organ, or muscle in your body needs blood to work properly. Similarly, your hair needs fresh blood to grow stronger and healthier. The Headstand pose pushes fresh blood to your head that nourishes your scalp. Thus, you get strong hair, and your hair problems vanish.
Your eyes are always working and thus tire out easily. Moreover, overexposure to blue screens throughout the day has a disastrous effect on your eyes. Hence, to give your eyes much-needed rest and to increase blood flow to that area, you should practice a headstand.
Also Read: Kriya Yoga
Conclusion
Headstand (Shirshasana) pose is one of the most important yoga poses you should include in your routine. In case you want to learn about it, you can enroll in a registered yoga school. Just make sure you are practicing this pose consistently to have lifelong benefits.