The Twelve Steps to Headstand Mastery
22/11/08 21:00
In Depth
Asanas- Headstand Poses (Sirshasana)
When one learns headstand (sirshasana) one is tempted to come right into it, because we are taught in this manner, in a standard class. Therefore, this becomes our habit.
Many people who can do the headstand tend then, as a result of not being taught some more basic skills, to lack the ability to proceed past to more advanced postures without assistance of a wall. The decision to go to the wall carries with it a decision that learning balance is not important and this is to be avoided, else one becomes mentally dependent on assistance instead of learning balance yourself.
We have attended so-called 'advanced' yoga classes where when it came to do scorpion pose, everyone, including the teacher (!) headed for the wall. It became clear then that these kinds of yoga classes were leaving out what we feel to be the key aspect of ALL yoga practice- balance.
Once you get to the more advanced versions of the headstand like Vrschikasana (Scorpion) pose, one must have some other skills and awarenesses that simple headstand by itself does not give.
It is our aim to tell you some key information so that you will be able to understand how to do it properly.
The Twelve Steps to Complete Inverted Headstand & Variations Mastery
Proceed to next step ONLY after meeting the conditions for the current step. Most yogis in America, unless they have some gymnastics or acrobat training, will not be able to go beyond step 10. I have included the others for some expansion of the reader’s understanding of the quite basic nature of the physical aspects of yoga we practice in the West.
1) Basic entrance to posture, knees straight, hips slightly behind head vertically. Practice until one can stay in that posture with straight legs and a slightly bent neck with a little weight on it. This will prepare the neck for the next steps. No hopping into the posture, as this leads to imbalance, and falling out of the posture.
2) Half-headstand Weight Movement. with knees touching chest and bent and feet touching buttocks, practice shifting weight to elbows, then shifting weight to head movement practice. Movement is strictly linear. 20 repetitions each way. Knees and feet MUST touch each other the moment your second foot leaves the ground. This is critical to stability- see Common Mistakes, below.
3) Knees to Sky practice. Keeping the feet against the buttocks, move the knees until they point to the sky, and then come back down to touch the chest. Move to step 4 when you can do this 20 times in a row without falling.
a) Key to understanding this practice is that it’s in two parts:
i. Knees moving from chest to the point where the thighs are parallel to ground, halfway through the range of motion.
ii. Knees from halfway point to knees to the sky.
b) What is to be known about this is:
i. In the first part the knees are moving away from the centerline of the body, and so the hips must correspondingly be moved in the opposite direction, away from the centerline of the body, but on the opposite side.
ii. In the second part, the knees then move back toward the centerline, so one must move one’s hips again toward the centerline. In fact, the hips are more toward the centerline than when the knees are touching the chest.
4) Hold Standard Headstand for increasing amounts, until one can hold it comfortably for 5 minutes, focused on the abdominal breath.
a) One can do also here various foot movements, like putting feet together in Namaste’ and twisting left and right, as these are far easier than the next steps.
5) Small Foot Movements. Begin to practice small amplitude foot movements. Keeping knees locked, move the feet using the hips. Start linear by moving the feet backwards and forwards; i.e. toward the front of the body and then arching the back to move the feet behind the body. Next, move the feet left and right in small amounts, again from the hips.
6) Foot Circles. Now put all these left/right and forward/backward exercises together by moving the feet in small circles, first one direction, then the other.
a) Increase the movement into larger circles as one's ability increases.
b) Ultimately, one wants to be able to move the legs together to touch the ground easily and without lots of pressure on the elbows, as in the photos.
7) Crow to Headstand and Back. Do Kakasana, then slowly bring head to ground, lift legs up into headstand. Move hands to standard headstand position around head. Then reverse hands to crow position, bring legs down, and press back into a stable crow position.
8) Hand Variations. Practice hand variations in headstand. They are:
a) To start: Arms bent palms down
b) Arms straight out in front of face, palms down.
c) Arms straight out in front of face, palms up.
d) Spread arms out to 45 degrees, palms down.
e) Spread arms out to 45 degrees, palms up
f) Use hands in first hand variation position to rotate around on head. Practice moving left, then right direction, to build the neck muscles.
g) Move left hand up to the side of the left thigh.
h) Move right hand up to side of right thigh.
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3
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9) Vrschikasana (Scorpion) Pose and Variations- I will cover the particulars of this asana in a separate article. Variations for it include a handstand version, another where the yogi is resting only on the elbows, hands on the face; and finally coming into the pose from chakrasana (wheel) pose.
One can definitely be able to do this without needing the wall, if one has properly learned the other poses. One can see here from the photos that this advanced Scorpion pose does NOT require great back flexibility, contrary to popular myth.
10) Handstand. This pose is also very useful for building deltoid (shoulder/arm muscle) if one lacks strength to push up Vrschikasana (Scorpion) pose. To start, have a helper, and do small increment pushups in handstand as a way to build strength to hold this posture. Working on balance is key here. Eventually, one can try to build up to being able to press into a handstand. There is a site strictly devoted to hand balancing here.
11) Headstand to Side Crow. One of the most difficult of variations of the headstand, this posture requires extreme balance, strength, and control, as it incorporates simultaneous and large movements both front back and side to side at once. Click here to see Iyengar doing this variation in the 1930's. His control is astounding, and in the video he does quite a few variations of this advanced posture that most yogis cannot do, especially in America.
12) Poorna (Full) Headstand. The ULTIMATE Headstand Pose. This is literally a complete unsupported headstand, without use of the hands, elbows or arms.
Using the competence gained from the last of the described hand variations, try with assistance at first to hold the pose, but ONLY after a very long time spent working on headstand in the standard way, and being capable of holding the headstand for fully 30 minutes or more in the standard way.
Common Mistakes
1) Trying to do the headstand only, without practicing the more fundamental aspects that enable advancement past step 4, the normal headstand.
2) Not keeping the knees and feet together when lifting the second leg from the ground. ONLY when doing Scorpion Pose, do the knees or feet come apart.
3) Elbows out too wide, or moving them out during ANY phase of headstand or Scorpion. If one keeps one’s legs touching each other, then side to side movement is largely eliminated.
4) Too rounded of a back when in Step 1. This forces a little hop into the posture that is to be avoided.
5) Moving the feet up into headstand without putting knees up to the sky first. This is caused because of a lack of awareness of the two step nature of the knee movements, as I explain above in Step 3.
When one learns headstand (sirshasana) one is tempted to come right into it, because we are taught in this manner, in a standard class. Therefore, this becomes our habit.
Many people who can do the headstand tend then, as a result of not being taught some more basic skills, to lack the ability to proceed past to more advanced postures without assistance of a wall. The decision to go to the wall carries with it a decision that learning balance is not important and this is to be avoided, else one becomes mentally dependent on assistance instead of learning balance yourself.
We have attended so-called 'advanced' yoga classes where when it came to do scorpion pose, everyone, including the teacher (!) headed for the wall. It became clear then that these kinds of yoga classes were leaving out what we feel to be the key aspect of ALL yoga practice- balance.
Once you get to the more advanced versions of the headstand like Vrschikasana (Scorpion) pose, one must have some other skills and awarenesses that simple headstand by itself does not give.
It is our aim to tell you some key information so that you will be able to understand how to do it properly.
The Twelve Steps to Complete Inverted Headstand & Variations Mastery
Proceed to next step ONLY after meeting the conditions for the current step. Most yogis in America, unless they have some gymnastics or acrobat training, will not be able to go beyond step 10. I have included the others for some expansion of the reader’s understanding of the quite basic nature of the physical aspects of yoga we practice in the West.
1) Basic entrance to posture, knees straight, hips slightly behind head vertically. Practice until one can stay in that posture with straight legs and a slightly bent neck with a little weight on it. This will prepare the neck for the next steps. No hopping into the posture, as this leads to imbalance, and falling out of the posture.
2) Half-headstand Weight Movement. with knees touching chest and bent and feet touching buttocks, practice shifting weight to elbows, then shifting weight to head movement practice. Movement is strictly linear. 20 repetitions each way. Knees and feet MUST touch each other the moment your second foot leaves the ground. This is critical to stability- see Common Mistakes, below.
3) Knees to Sky practice. Keeping the feet against the buttocks, move the knees until they point to the sky, and then come back down to touch the chest. Move to step 4 when you can do this 20 times in a row without falling.
a) Key to understanding this practice is that it’s in two parts:
i. Knees moving from chest to the point where the thighs are parallel to ground, halfway through the range of motion.
ii. Knees from halfway point to knees to the sky.
b) What is to be known about this is:
i. In the first part the knees are moving away from the centerline of the body, and so the hips must correspondingly be moved in the opposite direction, away from the centerline of the body, but on the opposite side.
ii. In the second part, the knees then move back toward the centerline, so one must move one’s hips again toward the centerline. In fact, the hips are more toward the centerline than when the knees are touching the chest.
4) Hold Standard Headstand for increasing amounts, until one can hold it comfortably for 5 minutes, focused on the abdominal breath.
a) One can do also here various foot movements, like putting feet together in Namaste’ and twisting left and right, as these are far easier than the next steps.
5) Small Foot Movements. Begin to practice small amplitude foot movements. Keeping knees locked, move the feet using the hips. Start linear by moving the feet backwards and forwards; i.e. toward the front of the body and then arching the back to move the feet behind the body. Next, move the feet left and right in small amounts, again from the hips.
6) Foot Circles. Now put all these left/right and forward/backward exercises together by moving the feet in small circles, first one direction, then the other.
a) Increase the movement into larger circles as one's ability increases.
b) Ultimately, one wants to be able to move the legs together to touch the ground easily and without lots of pressure on the elbows, as in the photos.
7) Crow to Headstand and Back. Do Kakasana, then slowly bring head to ground, lift legs up into headstand. Move hands to standard headstand position around head. Then reverse hands to crow position, bring legs down, and press back into a stable crow position.
8) Hand Variations. Practice hand variations in headstand. They are:
a) To start: Arms bent palms down
b) Arms straight out in front of face, palms down.
c) Arms straight out in front of face, palms up.
d) Spread arms out to 45 degrees, palms down.
e) Spread arms out to 45 degrees, palms up
f) Use hands in first hand variation position to rotate around on head. Practice moving left, then right direction, to build the neck muscles.
g) Move left hand up to the side of the left thigh.
h) Move right hand up to side of right thigh.
1
234569) Vrschikasana (Scorpion) Pose and Variations- I will cover the particulars of this asana in a separate article. Variations for it include a handstand version, another where the yogi is resting only on the elbows, hands on the face; and finally coming into the pose from chakrasana (wheel) pose.
One can definitely be able to do this without needing the wall, if one has properly learned the other poses. One can see here from the photos that this advanced Scorpion pose does NOT require great back flexibility, contrary to popular myth.
10) Handstand. This pose is also very useful for building deltoid (shoulder/arm muscle) if one lacks strength to push up Vrschikasana (Scorpion) pose. To start, have a helper, and do small increment pushups in handstand as a way to build strength to hold this posture. Working on balance is key here. Eventually, one can try to build up to being able to press into a handstand. There is a site strictly devoted to hand balancing here.
11) Headstand to Side Crow. One of the most difficult of variations of the headstand, this posture requires extreme balance, strength, and control, as it incorporates simultaneous and large movements both front back and side to side at once. Click here to see Iyengar doing this variation in the 1930's. His control is astounding, and in the video he does quite a few variations of this advanced posture that most yogis cannot do, especially in America.
12) Poorna (Full) Headstand. The ULTIMATE Headstand Pose. This is literally a complete unsupported headstand, without use of the hands, elbows or arms.
Using the competence gained from the last of the described hand variations, try with assistance at first to hold the pose, but ONLY after a very long time spent working on headstand in the standard way, and being capable of holding the headstand for fully 30 minutes or more in the standard way.
Common Mistakes
1) Trying to do the headstand only, without practicing the more fundamental aspects that enable advancement past step 4, the normal headstand.
2) Not keeping the knees and feet together when lifting the second leg from the ground. ONLY when doing Scorpion Pose, do the knees or feet come apart.
3) Elbows out too wide, or moving them out during ANY phase of headstand or Scorpion. If one keeps one’s legs touching each other, then side to side movement is largely eliminated.
4) Too rounded of a back when in Step 1. This forces a little hop into the posture that is to be avoided.
5) Moving the feet up into headstand without putting knees up to the sky first. This is caused because of a lack of awareness of the two step nature of the knee movements, as I explain above in Step 3.
Comments
'In Depth' Asanas Series Prelude
19/11/08 09:18
Silent
Motion Yoga ‘In Depth’ Asanas Series
This article will serve as an index to the forthcoming ‘In Depth’ Yoga Poses Series.
Since we here at Silent Motion Yoga & Coaching would like to explore these poses in more depth than one would typically find anywhere else, we will not go into the basics of the postures as much, and allow you to see the Sivananda.org site that describes them instead if you are unfamiliar with them.
There are three key aspects to each asana or yoga pose, and I will describe each in the context of the following three:
Balance
In order to do the above steps, one must have balance, the key principle in yoga practice in all three bodies: physical, astral, and causal. Here is the definition of balance, according to the dictionary. You can see that many things apply regarding that definition and yoga practice.
We will be quite specific regarding balance as we describe what is needed to poses and the balance component.
Here is our definition, in one equation, so to speak:
Why Are Poses Hard?
There is a fundamental principle about yoga poses that can enable you to understand how complicated or physically difficult a pose is to move into, out of or to hold.
The Basic Class- The links below take you to our comments on each pose.
We will be posting photos, audio and video as time goes on, to illustrate the principles we are describing here, so kindly bear with us as we assemble the needed materials.
This article will serve as an index to the forthcoming ‘In Depth’ Yoga Poses Series.
Since we here at Silent Motion Yoga & Coaching would like to explore these poses in more depth than one would typically find anywhere else, we will not go into the basics of the postures as much, and allow you to see the Sivananda.org site that describes them instead if you are unfamiliar with them.
There are three key aspects to each asana or yoga pose, and I will describe each in the context of the following three:
- Getting into the posture
- Holding the posture
- Getting out of the posture
Balance
In order to do the above steps, one must have balance, the key principle in yoga practice in all three bodies: physical, astral, and causal. Here is the definition of balance, according to the dictionary. You can see that many things apply regarding that definition and yoga practice.
We will be quite specific regarding balance as we describe what is needed to poses and the balance component.
Here is our definition, in one equation, so to speak:
Not only is this style of class inherently respectful of the chakra
system, it’s also balanced in the sense that one does a counter
posture for each posture, and allows for a rest after most
postures. This repetition and balance of effort and relaxation, if
the student can emphasize the relaxation component with abdominal
breath awareness, then it’s possible to learn quickly how to bring
about relaxation outside of class also.
Balancing as well is the generally slow to medium paced movement
into and out of poses. I mean to say that by doing this slowly, one
can learn to gradually slow the typically hurried movements one has
in daily life rushing to get things done.
A Sivananda Yoga Class is divided into 12 separate basic postures,
in order of the chakra system, which is what shows that this system
of yoga poses is grounded in spiritual practice, due to it’s
respect for this energetic opening. Of course, there are nearly
endless variations on these basic postures, allowing for many
different types of classes from meditative and introspective to
hardcore in difficulty.
Details on how the teaching of yoga postures in many classes we
have attended are sorely lacking, or where to find more specific
information might allow the student to progress, should they choose
to. Where needed, we will point out these aspects also.
In general, an ideal class would last 2 hours, but is adaptable in
a full manner down to 1.5 hours and further if certain aspects,
like pranayama are taken out entirely, which I am reluctant to do,
with good reason.
General Principles
Before we outline the
order of poses themselves, we would like to state some general
principles of the class that we find important:
- Yoga Asanas (Poses) are spiritual practice and is about moving the prana in the body in specific ways to produce health, flexibility and connection with one’s awareness in movement and action. Having said this, it’s important to note, as I have before, that yoga poses are to be held in a stable and relaxed manner. Since the word asana means literally ‘without motion’, then seems appropriate.
- In general, it’s a good idea to be able to silently and calmly hold each posture for at least 3 minutes (and per side, as appropriate) and that mastery of each pose comes after holding the posture for 3 hours.
- The entire class is designed to bring about a state of mind where the body and mind are calmed to the point where meditation can begin. Indeed, all the poses lead up to the last 15 minutes of class, where a guided relaxation takes place. A prayer precedes and finished each class also. At the start, the Gajananam, and at the end the Maha Mritunjaya mantra, the Universal Prayer, and Om Shanti three times.
- This is the first in a series of articles about asanas 'In Depth'. This text will expand on the information found in the Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnu-devananda.
- We have found in teaching yoga classes that there are some common issues that arise during our asanas practice and a common thread of solutions as well. The main point about these tips is that they are designed to be used in a real classroom situation and can be applied in a way that is nearly invisible and shouldn't put you in a position to be 'not following the teacher', or doing something different from everyone else.
- We recommended NOT using props (unless needed for pregnancy, obesity or injury), and if needing to use props, gradually wean one’s self off of the use of them. As Swami Vishnu-devananda said “I am not only teaching you to stand on your hand but also your own two feet.” Relying on one’s own self-effort and self-confidence is a key to spiritual progress, even though we all can use assistance now and then in specific circumstances. Hopefully the tips I will give you here will teach you to be more self-reliant when stresses and strains from your asanas practice and regular life come up.
Why Are Poses Hard?
There is a fundamental principle about yoga poses that can enable you to understand how complicated or physically difficult a pose is to move into, out of or to hold.
- Number of Operating Joints
- Height of Center of Gravity
- Range of Motion Required per joint and compression (bone to bone, genetic) differences between people
- Breath & Concentration Competence
The Basic Class- The links below take you to our comments on each pose.
- Sitting (Asana)- The Main Pose that all other asanas are to help one achieve comfortably.
- Sirshasana (Headstand)
- Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)
- Halasana (Plow)
- Matsyasana (Fish)
- Paschimotanasana (Sitting Forward Bend)
- Bhujangasana (Cobra)
- Salabasana (Locust)
- Dhanurasana (Bow)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist)
- Kakasana (Crow)
- Pada Hastasana (Hands to Feet Posture)
- Trikonasana (Triangle)
We will be posting photos, audio and video as time goes on, to illustrate the principles we are describing here, so kindly bear with us as we assemble the needed materials.