I feel called to share about the practice of headstand. Please check out the video tutorial I am uploaded on my youtube channel here.
The headstand (Sirsasana) is commonly referred to as the king of all asanas. It is often performed at the end of many yoga classes, but this is not how I teach it. I teach Sivananda yoga classes which uses a specific sequence of asana to strategically stimulate the body physically and energetically. Sivananda yoga teaches us to begin an asana practice with a headstand, stimulating the crown (Sahasrana) and the brow or third eye (Ajna) chakras. This is also therefore stimulating the pineal and pituitary glands and the hypothalamus. It has been said that if you only have time to complete one asana, it should be the headstand. Many people think it is an advanced asana. It is not an advanced asana. The biggest difficulty in this asana is conquering your fear. Going upside down feels scary for many people.
Do not practice headstand if you have glaucoma, or any other series eye issues. Do not practice headstand if you have high blood pressure but are not controlling it with medication. These are the few contraindications. Headstand is for everyone (else haha)!
The most important this I want to talk about here is how headstand can help you to transmute your energy. After sharing this practice with a few of my close friends and loved ones, particularly men, it is clear that it can be a very powerful inversion with many benefits. It is said that any unused energy or energy that is stuck is able to move. For men, any seminal energy (which is downward flowing towards the genitals) is able to flow back upward and is said to be transmuted into Ojas (spiritual energy) in the Ajna chakra. This is why this pose is said to sublimate sexual energy as well.
I have heard from many men I work with that this practice works well to shift sexual urges and energy. I am very interested in this practice for recovering individuals who have identified as sexual addicts or experienced some sort of sexual compulsivity. Sexual energy, especially for men, can become stuck in and around the genitals, supercharging a sometimes unhealthy or imbalanced desire for sex. This can also present as aggression, anger, or other ways when the energy becomes stuck and is not able to be used. They say that holding headstand allows the energy to flow back upwards towards the head where it collects in the pineal gland and Ajna chakra.
I saw my friend the other day have a very powerful experience after holding his headstand practice for about 5 minutes. When he stood up after his rest in child's pose, he felt the energy move into his heart centre. It seemed as though his anahata chakra was bursting with energy, perhaps removing a blockage that had been there. He was moved to tears as he felt this strong shift of energy. I believe that headstand allows stagnant energy to become unstuck, allowing the energy to flow within the energy centres, ultimately going to where it is needed most.
Of course, headstand is not the end all and be all for this intention of moving stuck energy. I have recently begun to study tantric techniques that can assist in moving stuck energy from the sacral region in particular but also throughout the whole body. Most of these techniques operate under the same principles beliefs that allow the energy to move more freely throughout the energy channels (nadis) and centres (chakras).
It is said in the Upanishads that someone who practices Sirsasana for 3 hours daily conquers time. It is believed it can reverse the signs of aging, like wrinkles and greying hair. Headstand also changes the blood pressure which can actually help the body to heal and rejuvenate other areas. Rushing blood to the brain is said to improve its function significantly, assisting in concentration and memory, and even alleviating the symptoms of anxiety and depression. By shifting the blood pressure in the body, you are improving your ability to naturally regulate its blood pressure, and you experience enhanced blood and lymph circulation. The heart grows stronger as well as the external muscles of your shoulders, arms, and back.
In my tutorial I walk you through these steps to performing headstand without a wall or assistance:
A headstand is performed by a series of eight steps, as follows:
Begin in a child’s pose, then sit up onto your heels.
Hold your elbows in order to measure the distance that is best. Plant your elbows on the mat in front of you and release your hands with interlocking fingers forming a wall. Make sure the elbows stay in the distance you have measured.
Find the crown of your head and place it in front of this wall, cradling the back of your head with your hands.
Come up onto your toes allowing your legs to come straight and your hips pointing up towards the sky.
Walk your feet towards your chest as far as possible.
Bring one knee at a time in towards your chest, or both if you are able to, lifting your toes off the mat and finding your balance.
Raise your knees up so that you are in a straight line from your head to the knees.
Straighten your legs above your knees, push all your weight into your arms, and tighten your core muscles to create a straight headstand. Come down with as much control as you came up with, and return to child's pose for at least four breaths.
​It is very very important for the shift of energy that you return to child’s pose to allow the energy to rest in the head and to prevent dizziness.
As I mentioned, this asana is a well-known and often a feared pose for even experienced yogis. Especially with the support of an experienced teacher, there is nothing to fear. If you are interested in some help with your headstand practice please come to one of my classes or send me a private message.