I used to attend Mysore style ashtanga classes. After practicing for a few months, my teacher said she wanted to work with my on my headstand. I remember her giving me this advice:
Don’t think of lifting your feet up. Instead, focus on walking your feet as close to your face as possible. When your core is strong enough, your feet will get so close to your face that the only way they can go is up. It will come naturally, in time.
She told me to resist doing the pose until I can pike up.
Sirsasana
Sirsa: head | asana: pose
I didn’t do a full haeadstand for about a year. Until one day, viola! My feet lifted off the ground. I have never felt to stable in my headstand. I was always careful with my headstand entry. But I would come up by bending one knee and placing it close to my chest. I would do this one leg at a time and would straighten my legs when I felt stable in this compressed position. Although I could hold my headstand for a few breaths, I always felt unstable. But piking up to headstand gives me a stabler base.
In yoga, for most poses, the lesson is to let go of achieving a pose. Rather, focus on strength building and opening up the body. The pose will come. It’s funny how when you stop obsessing about a pose and start enjoying the process, you have more patience and less ego. I find myself practicing more and enjoying each stage of my journey.
If you find yourself struggling with your headstand, try this approach. It may take you a year like me or less, but when the feet naturally lift up, it’s a beautiful feeling.
Cue for Headstand:
- Take the forearms and knees to the ground. Catch the elbows with opposite hands, so the elbows are shoulder-width apart.
- Interlace the fingers, not too tight, but not loose either. You’ll favor a specific pinky to be on the ground. Tuck the bottom pinky so it rests comfortably on the opposite hand.
- Take the back of the head and place it against the palms. Place the crown of the head on the floor. Nothing should hurt at any point in this pose.
- When the head feels snug, start walking the feet as close to the face as possible. Keep the forearms stable and don’t let the elbows splay out. When you can get the feet to the point where the hips are over the shoulders, the feet have nowhere to go but up. This is when you can start lifting the legs up. Resist the urge to rush this process. If the feet are not lifting up, place the feet as close to the face as you can and hold the pose with the feet on the ground for a few breaths.
- When it’s time to come down. Keep the hips over the shoulders, leg straight, and use the core gently place the feet on the ground the same way you lifted them up.
- Rest in child’s pose for a few breaths.
Tip:
Don’t try a headstand unless your body is warm. You want to do a headstand towards the end of your practice.
