I’m slowly coming back to this pose and I think I do it better and safer these days than I did when I was younger. I’ve opicked upa few pointers along the way, such as these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-UbSt_Vtw
I think what this guy shows makes a a lot of sense and seems very sensible. Letting my forearms take more of the weight, lifting the ribcage with my shoulders, I feel much less as I’ve been putting a lot of strain and weight on my head and neck than I used to feel as I get out of the position.
Not the worst I’ve seen, but lacking a great deal of detail, in the breathing, position of the head (he looks like he’s on his forehead), and he’s stacking a lot of weight through his neck. If you can press and hold your weight in half headstand, on inhalation, then you know you’re ready to do a safe headstand. It’s not until then you’ll feel the head and neck come into proper alignment. Exercises to reach that point are dolphin pushups and leg lifts.
Also, you should not be clasping the hands quite so tightly, thumbs up or not. It has nothing to do with rotation of the lower arm anyway, and in the event you might someday lose your balance, you want to be able to get those fingers open as quickly as possible to prevent rolling over them with your head and possibly doing some real harm.
Many have disagreed with me and still will, but then many also have reached an new understanding of headstand and transformed it into something safe and beautiful by following this advice.
Don’t do it (or any other yoga practice) wearing spectacles!
As a beginner, when you raise your legs off the ground, bend the knees, so that the heels come to the buttocks. Practice holding that position for a few days / weeks first, until you have the balance perfected - with the knees bent, heels to buttocks, the centre of gravity is 50% lower, and therefore a lot easier to find and hold the balance.
I didn’t watch more than 30 seconds of the video - not much time - but I’ll just say that headstand, once you have the balance, is quite easy. if you learn the proper technique, you will never hurt yourself, even falling out of it - most people fall out of it sometime. Shouldn’t be a problem. Always practice away from walls / furniture.
It’s great that you’re coming back to the pose when you are ready and in a way that you feel is safer than in your youth.
To me, sarvangasana and sirsasana should be learned directly from a relationship with a sound teacher. And as Siva points out, there are certainly things of value in this particular video and yet other things that may lead to confusion. Since people generally do what they see, we as teachers have to only show that which we want done.
The clasping of the hands deeply intertwines the base of the digits AND a space is maintained in the center of the palms. This is true more so for beginners. So I agree with Siva, that a clenched grip is not appropriate, but a languid one is far more dangerous. The grip energetically connects a chain running from the upper thoracic spine through the shoulder joints, arms and hands and a circuit with frayed wiring is not only inefficient at conducting voltage (energy) it is also a fire hazard.
Siva, I can’t see the point in going up with straight legs either and I’ve never done it that way. Bending the knees creates a smoother motion, makes more sense to me. What exactly is half headstand? Is it with the feet off the floor and the knees bent?
Interlocking the thumbs feels right, or at least more right to me now, mainly the point of getting my head in front of the hand rather than inside the palms (as I tended to do before). It feels more stable. I spent almost a full year falling when I fiorst learnt to stand on my head so even with my fingers clasped well together I’d feel safe falling over, but I do see your point.
From what I see in the video he’s not so much on his forehead and his neck seems free enough when he turns his head around a little upside down. Anyway, the main thing for me is that before I used to feel how there had been some pressure on my neck as I came out of the position but now I don’t really feel anything in particular. Everything feels normal.
benralston, I do wear my spectacles most of the time when I do it because I’m too lazy to take them off. It doesn’t worry me much.
InnerAthlete, I did learn it directly from a teacher back when I was young but I’m beginning to doubt what they taught more and more. I checked their little book the other day and they actually advice standing on a point between the forehead and the crown of the head, and that’s one of those things that caused me some pain earlier.
The placement of the head depends on the nature of curve in the student’s cervical spine. A student with a healthy curve has one placement while a student with a reverse curve or “military” neck has another.
Simply that something causes pain doesn’t necessarily mean the head placement is incorrect (for that student). There are other factors, including actions and alignments. And, generally speaking, the placement of the head is on the front fontanel which is between the top of the forehead and the crown.
There are bregma and crown versions. I was shown bregma by one teacher and have since then invariably been more sold on it; For safety reasons and level of difficulity.It’s alot easier.Bregma tends to mean less weight is on the cervix and neck.There should be next to nothing. In fact i would say the head should if anything can just be there for balance though it does’nt need to be at all… And it is not recommended for some one new to yoga and contraindicated for many. Take your time with this one.The king of asanasa and very beneifical but take it slow. Do no kick up. Ensure you have a stable tripod base of sides of forearms and hands before entrance.Therre’s no room for ego in this pose either.Most real accomplishement in yoga may or may not be obvious externally.
I think an issue with folk new to yoga is making the mistake that getting into headstand or full lotus is one of the biggest acheviements. It is and it is’nt.Remember that these postures just prepare the ground for the business-side end of yoga,the more potent side which is some light pranayam next and meditation, in that order.
Remember also to lift the shoulders while in the pose.Relax…
Terje,
Bending the knees was Ben’s comment, but one I agree with. You do the same coming down.
Yes. Half headstand is done with both knees into the chest. The lower back can be straightened, but the legs should hang off the hips and not be lifted. If you have a good half headstand, and can press your weight off your head (with inhalation), you’ll be on your way to a good full headstand.
No problem with this. Hand positions vary, including “no hands.” What’s important is are you able to support your weight, are you not compromising the alignment of the head and neck?
I’ve written about headstand ad nauseum elsewhere on the forum, but once again, even once you’re up in headstand and comfortable with whatever amount of weight you’re taking into your neck (which need be very little), don’t stop there. Reach for the point where you’re able to press, lift and touch your head back down to the floor with same delicacy and control as you would your finger tip to a table top (without huffing and puffing or holding your breath). Something to work towards.
Head positions I won’t get into because I don’t want to hear the “to each his own” thing, but I’ve never heard of adapting placement and alignment of the head according to the curvature of the neck. You would have to know if if the anomaly were anatomical or not (in the vertebrae) or postural. In other words, permanent. Would we be adapting the pose to restore the healthy curvature? At what point would we start changing head placement? I go off the crown, which is at the coronal seam, or just in front of it. Nothing near the forehead or in between. That’s just me. As a teacher, it’s something I want to see in someone’s whole body, and check often, from more than one angle, and I wouldn’t advise anyone to try and figure it out on their own.
