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Understanding the Headstand
By Monica Schmidt, BS

Still working on headstand? You don’t stand alone. Many students spend years attempting to master headstand, Sirshasana, at the wall. Although this is a safe way to introduce your body to being upside down, it can become a crutch that inhibits progress to a free-floating headstand. In this article you’ll find some tips, approaches, and styles to moving ahead in your headstand, but first a few words on why we invert in general.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INVERSIONS:

Inversions place your body in line with the downward force of gravity opposite of force experienced while standing. This elongates the spine, increasing space between vertebrae, which relieves the pressure on the discs and nerve roots. When you lie flat on your back, your discs expand, but some pressure still remains. Inverting is necessary to reduce the disc pressure to zero. A study by physiotherapist LJ Nose found that EMG activity (a measure of muscle tension) declined 35% within 10 seconds of inverting. The lymphatic system, the system of glands and hormones, has no pump. Fluid must move through one way valves, some uphill, via muscle contractions. When inverted, gravity works with these one way valves allowing lymphatic juices of the body to travel more efficiently. Also, organs can be pushed downward throughout one’s lifetime causing digestive and waste elimination problems. Inversions help stabilize organs to their normal place in the body. The pull of gravity is the most powerful force your body constantly endures during your lifetime. For centuries, yoga practitioners have recognized the concept of turning the body upside down to balance gravity’s one-way effects. In addition to the physical benefits, learning to invert sharpens mental focus. Requiring a strong mind/body connection, headstand builds confidence of spirit!

SETTING UP YOUR ARMS:

There are many arm variations can be practiced in headstand, but there are two standards. One is called “tripod,” where palms are flat on the mat and the head is positioned between them and about 6 inches forward of hands. Tripod is usually easier to learn, because the stability in the head to hand distance. Less core strength will be needed to balance. Students usually start by placing the knees on backs of elbows and ascending from there. An interesting benefit of this version is that it can flow to crow pose (bakasana) and then chaturunga. I believe there is some risk in holding this style of headstand for more than 5 to 10 breaths and is better practiced as a transitional pose in yoga flow/vinyasa. Safety concerns include significant pressure felt in the top of the head. Neck muscles might not be strong enough to support the cervical vertebra and the potential for injury, in my opinion, is higher than the “forearm” set-up. “Forearm” set-up is a better choice for holding the pose and reaping the rewards of inversion. Forearm headstand has the potential to be not really a headstand, but a head and arm stand. Meaning roughly a third of the body weight is in the head, and a third in each arm. Learning to use the forearms to support 2/3 of your weight will result in less strain on the neck muscles and less compression in the cervical spine (neck bones). Eventually, you can practice headstand with very little or no weight in the head, creating a space between your crown and the mat and allowing the intervertebral discs to open fully, as mentioned above. To set-up the forearm base, begin in downward facing dog and drop to your elbows and forearms. Interlace your fingers so that your arms are in the shape of a triangle on your mat. Place your head gently on the mat with the back of your head nestled in the palms and the crown of the head lightly on the floor. Tip toe your feet toward your elbows, bending your knees as much a necessary to put weight in your arms. See if you can get your hips over your shoulders so that there is “lightness” in your feet. Lift one leg as high as you can to the ceiling making the foot on the mat even lighter. You will have a dominant leg that you lift more readily without thinking about it, but alternate legs a few times as to keep balance in your practice. This builds a foundation for the ability to lift both legs together with no momentum, but requires superior strength in the abdominals (bandhas).

KICKING UP vs. PRESSING UP

“Pressing up,” lifting both legs together, is desirable because you don’t have to try to stop the motion of a kick. Core strength is a factor while learning to press up and there is a natural tendency to want to lift one leg at a time until your body is used to the sensation of inversion. You will get a sense that if you kick too hard you’ll fall over the top and for this reason students get addicted to using the wall. I suggest thinking of it as lifting one leg up as high as possible, with little momentum, and then floating the second leg up as slowly as you can. It will help to bend you knees, taking some work out of the core. Remember, technique will come after you have mastered the pose in a “raw” form. Do not become distracted by details as you are learning. Focus on getting up there, relaxing, breathing, and conquering your fear.

YOU’RE UP! CONTROLLING THE BALANCE

Okay, you’re up! To maintain the balance put your mind in the “root” of the pose, your arms. Think of your arms as being two big feet embracing your head. If you’re confused by this idea, try this exercise:

While standing on your feet in mountain pose (tadasana), rock your weight forward to your toes until your heels lift. Watch how your toes spread and grip the mat so you don’t fall forward. Then, drift weight into your heels and watch your toes lift, tops of the feet contract as do your shins and thighs. In tadasana, your feet are the root of the pose and when you are perfectly centered there is no effort, but when you come off center by shifting weight, foot muscles work into the mat so you don’t fall. Also, notice when your weight is not centered that your core is more fully engaged. This experiment is an analogy for the work of the arms and core in headstand.

While in headstand if you sense that you’re falling over onto your back, push into the mat with the outside of your hands, wrists, and outer edge of your smallest finger. Pushing this way will take the weight back towards center. If you feel yourself falling the other way, back to where you started, push with your elbows. In this way, your hands represent work of feet in standing poses. Keep your bandhas engaged, your core tight.

DESCENDING

No matter if you are still practicing at the wall, or with a spotter, make a conscious effort to release your headstand with your legs together. Imagine your ankles are tied together and inner thighs are squeezing. Working the muscular “negative” aspect of this movement will help build strength in your core for the lifting into headstand with legs together, as described above.

RECOVERY

Traditionally, students take a restorative pose after headstand to calm the nervous system and mediate blood pressure. You can settle into Child’s pose very naturally after headstand. As soon as your feet hit the floor, bend your knees and relax your body into your heels, curled up, arms soft. The longer headstand is held, the more crucial Child’s pose is to help you recover.

SPIRIT

Inversions are a confidence builder! As with any pose, feeling your personal power in a new physical space will invigorate your sense of connectedness and presence. Remember, it’s the journey that facilitates mind, body, & spirit. Enjoy your practice!