if the person in the xrays thought he was doing it right for 25 years and that was the result , how do beginners know if we are doing it right. we might think we are, and our teachers might observe that it seems ok. i can do the exercise siva suggests, raising my head off the ground in dolphin push up , but i still dont think i should go much further cos i know i have some issues in my neck and shoulders. so whilst it may appear i am ready for it, i feel i am not, but my teachers might think i am as they may not know my history. headstand can become a worry sometimes especially when one see’s xrays like that! I cant belive the person in the xray continued with headstand for 25 years, i mean his condition didnt just happen overnight, think he might have noticed things werent going so well?
Yes this is a very good point you raise.
Beginners can only be charged with shopping and finding a well trained teacher. However most forego this, perhaps figuring “it’s only yoga”.
Philosophically, your point is one of four conditions within the five Kleshas.
Specifically listed in Avidya (ignorance) as misperceiving the impure for the pure. And it occurs, I assure you, well beyond the confines of Sirsasana.
Your statement illustrates the power of asana and such power can tangent in many directions. It can bring well being, aspiration, and evolution or it can bring cervical spine compression, inflate egos, and stick you within the animal nature.
There is another point within your text and that is the cultivation of the student-teacher relationship. When you are forthcoming with your teacher it is far easier for that teacher to guide you authentically. There is a mutual responsibility on the part of both teacher and student - student to be forthcoming, revealing, and confide, teacher to set a framework for trust and to be well trained and mindful in the directing.
Many health issues present themselves later in life. They are culminations of behaviors left unattended or unmodified. Injury can happen both in the moment (ouch) and over time. The second is far less overt. But yes one would wonder if the chap in question didn’t have some warnings.
For people with pre-existing neck issues the practice should be modified or avoided. And of course any student who doesn’t fee they are ready should be respected at that plateau and not pushed due to the ego of the teacher or the pressure of peers.
It’s difficult to figure out the truth based on proportionally small evidence eg. the X-ray. We don’t know much about the individual etc. Since the headstand is a staple in yoga practice done by millions for many years in history you’d think if it were so frought with danger it would fall out of favor. My neck feels great-I’ve stood on my head since my early 20’s and I’m 57 now. The idea that the spine was designed to hold the weight of the head only is cranially-centric, as the brain can be seen as just another appendage like the arms and legs. There are 16 lbs. of air pressure on the head per square inch when standing upright which I know just increases the weight when inverted but illustrates that there are forces bearing on this subject beyond simple weight on an object. Our bones are alive with fluids that cushion the outside pressures. Approach headstand with all respect and caution but in the Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H.David Coulter, which won the Franklin award for science writing ( he has a Phd. in Anatomy and is a yogi trained in India ) he says the head can easily take the weight. It should feel good. Mine feels great and I figure that without the pressure a lot of the benefits, like pituitary stimulation for one, would be compromised. B.K. S. Iyengar says to put all the weight on the crown of the head . a spot the size of a rupee. I totally agree to be cautious- I disagree with anyone that wants to toss such a valuable tool out of the bag. Namaste
For the record : I know those that caution about headstand are not necessarily cautioning against the headstand. My position is of one singing its praises. I find immediate and ongoing major benefits from it. Namaste
Thanks again, everyone. Tony - my mum bought me the Anatomy of Hatha Yoga for Christmas! She will be very pleased that it has been recommended to me.
I think for now, then - going on all this advice,a will stick with the dolphins until I increase my strength and with it, hopefully,my confidence.
Thanks for your input, everyone.
Hanu, it’s a wonderful book- I will admit that it makes my eyes cross trying to understand the anatomical details- but that’s just one part of a very comprehensive book. It has opened my eyes to what an amazing depth those ancient yogi’s understood the body; for example with inversions and the plough how blood pressure reverses and equalizes respectively throughout the body, having a positive circulatory effect. My BP and pulse are like an aerobically-minded athlete and the only aerobics I do are once or twice long walks a month in good weather ( not at all in the winter i.e.). The omnipresent adversity of gravity is reversed by inversions ( please overlook verbosity ), and those are more apparent with age.eg. sagging inner organs and skin, tired pooled blood in your feet , and hemmoroids also are retracted by inversions and aswini mudra, which is dealt with extensively in your book. Enjoy ( the best way to do yoga ) Namaste
here's B.K.S. Iyengar showing sirsasana1, I hope it shows the image, I've never posted a picture link before.
Ok, I’ll just replace my icon with the picture for a while, Namaste