learn how to headstand
follow these safe and effective cues to get yourself upside down
and feeling confident in your headstand practice!
first let’s talk a little bit about headstand…
there are many different variations of headstand,
all variations that I will get into here are all for supported headstand.
(I won’t be getting into tripod, maybe that’ll be a different post!)
below is bit of information to stick in your pocket about headstands!
Sanskrit: Salamba Sirsana, Supported Headstand
Benefits: improves blood flow, increases concentration, builds strength in shoulders, arms and core, stress relieving… headstand is often a restorative pose
Contraindications: neck/back injury, be sure to check with your doctor if you have conditions such as high/low blood pressure, a heart condition or any health concern you may that may be adversely affected going upside down
now that we are all more informed on the topic, let’s get into it!
first things first; we must create a base!
a strong, well-built foundation will aid in a sturdy headstand once you get upside down.
how to create your base:
come onto all fours and drop to your elbows
grab opposite elbows to measure the width of your base; by grabbing opposite elbows, you ensure the alignment of your elbows positioned directly under your shoulders (give or take minor adjustments), which is what we want! a base too wide or too narrow will only give you struggles once you started to bear weight
once you have found your elbow placement (which may feel a little tighter than you’re used to at first) extend your arms, interlace your fingers and create a fist, pressing your palms together
as you look down onto your built foundation, you’ll see that the space in between your wrists creates a triangle shape- that’s where you place the crown of your head. keep pressing your forearms and base of the fist into the ground, even though your head will likely be touching down onto the mat as well
important note here: as stated above, keep pressing your palms together, as if they are glued to one another. many yoga teachers teach you to cradle the back of your head with interlaced fingers- but I am suggesting otherwise and here is why: if we just cradle the back of our head, once we start to bear weight, ie: go upside down, most of the weight of our body is being supported by that of the head and cervical spine! ew, ouch, no thank you! by creating a sturdy base with the forearms and fist, we can protect the neck because the majority of the body weight is being supported by the shouldersss. ahh, sounds much happier for the delicate neck structure
let’s get upside down!
once comfortably situated with your base, tuck your toes and lift your knees off the mat. initially your feet will be quite far from your elbows. activate your triceps to stabilize your forearms
start to tip toe your way up towards the top of the mat; eventually we want the hips to be sacked over the shoulders (or as close as we can get to that position)
couple of things to keep in mind during this step:
1.) walking your feet up and working towards hips over shoulders does require hamstring flexibility. you don’t have to be a bendy wendy, but having some stretch in the back of the legs will certainly help many things in your every day, notably, your headstand practice. be sure to take your time and be gentle with yourself when stretching and if you want to feel the difference, be consistent!
2.) use a wall! especially in the beginning; if headstand is totally new to you or you feel unsafe being inverted, the wall is your friend. create your base so that your knuckles just graze the wall; as you walk your feet up closer, your upper back may press against the wall, giving you additional support.
walking your feet in and out a few times, while keeping your foundation strong and engaged may be enough for you to practice in the beginning; that will start to build the strength in your shoulders and core to support you when upside down
working towards lift off!
once you’ve walked your feet in nice and close, prop up onto your tippy toes and extend one leg up towards to the ceiling (the leading leg), reaching with the toes
at this point, you can start to rock up and back, maybe catching a little float of the toes off the mat
option: use a block under the foot that’s on the ground; the block will help initiate a greater lift, making your float more accessible
note: try not to kick your way up! easing into the inversion by rocking up and back will eventually give you enough momentum to catch the lift off. kicking your way up is aggressive and can give you too much momentum, often resulting in a flailing of out of control legs
when you start to find the lift off of the bottom foot, practice holding the “L” shape! by extending one leg up overhead and one leg out in front, you can teeter totter your way into finding balance!
note: practice leading with both right and left legs. we all have a favored side that seems to “work better” but its important to work “the other side” too!
when you’re ready, start to bring the legs together, hugging the thighs in toward each other, bringing the ankles to touch
say hello to your headstand
important things to remember when in your headstand:
starting from the foundation, actively press the forearms and base of the fist into the ground
activate the triceps; hug elbows inward
exhale ribs to the back body; hug the ribs in
engage the core - this will help stabilize the whole trunk, from the upper body to the pelvis
fully extend the legs, which will engage the quadriceps, giving you more control of your legs overhead; no loose noodles!
active toes! I am big fan of flointing, but pointing works great too, just reach up through the toes. this creates a flow of energy that will help lift you up into your headstand
and most important: BREATE! slow, controlled breathing will help you keep focus and stay calm while upside down
hold your headstand for 5-10 breaths before coming down slowly
headstand variations
one leg tuck:
similar to the split leg lift above, you’ll start with your headstand base, walk the feet forward working towards finding the hips over shoulders
tuck one leg into the chest, finding compression here - thigh tucked tightly against chest
option to use a block under the bottom foot, start to shift your weight into your forearms
when feeling the lift, be sure to
A.) keep compression with the tucked leg
B.) have a super straight, active leading leg
once you find your balance, it can be helpful to keep the one leg tucked and the other straight up, holding your one leg headstand for a number of breaths (3-5 breaths)… it is easier to support one leg over head than two!
***practice both sides***
tuck-up:
follow the steps from above, but tuck both legs up into the chest, creating compression - thighs on chest. hold here for a number of breaths
for a challenge >>> tuck headstand to pike hold
for a little extra core work out, from your tuck headstand position, extend the legs straight out in front of you, finding a 90° angle with the legs - remember: active legs and toes!
well, i’ll wrap this up here!
there are many more variations and entrances into headstand, but the examples and tips I shared above are a great place to get you started on your headstand journey!
*disclaimer:
you are your own best teacher - only you know what feels okay in your body and what doesn’t!
tune into your sensations. every body is unique, therefore not every cue will work for everyone. I have shared generalized tips for getting Into headstand; making adjustments that are unique to you is always okay & encouraged
please comment below with any additional questions
or thoughts you may have regarding my post :)