SkiptocontentHeadstand–SirsasanaorSalambaSirsasanaShare&Share&LikeExplanationandposeinstructionsHeadstandisoftenconsideredanadvancedasanabutinfactschoolssuchasSivanandaincorporatetheheadstandintotheirbasic12posturedsequence.Thisisbecausenotagreatdegreeofflexibilityandstrengthisrequiredtoenterthepostureanditispossibleforbeginnerstoachievethepose.Neverthelessitisachallengingposeasitrequiresconfidence,balanceandpoisetoaccomplishthisinversion.Thebeautyoftheposeisthatitlendsitselftosomanyvariationsanditcanbeusedasapreparatoryposeforscorpion(vrischikasana),orotherinvertedforearmbalance.Whilstheadstandisnotconsideredanadvancedpose,inordertoachieveastable,steadyheadstand,itisnecessarytodevelopthemusclesoftheshouldersandarms,togetherwiththebody’scorestrength.Thisisnecessarynotonlytoentertheposesafely,butalsotomaintainitcomfortably.Starttheposebytakingafewbreathsinchild’spose(balasana).Notonlydoesthisallowyoutoquietthemindandmentallypreparefortheheadstand,butitalsoalignsthebodyperfectlytomoveintotheheadstandsmoothly.Situprightontotheheelsandholdoppositeelbowswitheachhand,thisistoensureyourelbowsremainshoulderwidthapart.Releaseyourelbowsandleanforwardtolayyourforearmsoutinfrontofyouontotheground.Interlockthefingersofbothhands.Yourarmsshouldresembleatriangleshapeortripod.Thisisyourfoundation.Onanexhale,loweryourheadtothefloorsothatthecrowndirectlytouchesthefloorandthebackofyourheadsitssnuglyintoyourpalms,fingersremaininginterlocked.Now,straightenyourlegsandraiseyourhipsintotheair.Yourbodyshouldlooklikeaninverted‘V’shape.Thenextstepisallaboutengagingyourcoreinordertoraiseyourlowerbody–thereforeshiftingyourcentreofgravity.Withcontrolandonanexhalebringonekneeatatime(orbothkneestogether)intothechest,keepthekneesandthighspressedtogether.Pausehereforseveralbreaths. It’simportanttoavoidswingingthelegsupasthisdoesnotengagethemusclesorgivethebodycontroloverthemovementsand,canleadtofallingoutofthepose.Moreadvancesstudentscanraisebothlegswithoutbendingatthekneetogivemoreofaworkouttothecor