This blog is
dedicated to my papa, J.B. Harrison, for his (I shall not share his age)
birthday on December 22nd.
I chose headstand in honor of one night when my dad tried to prove to me
that he could do a headstand and ended up flipped over onto his bed. Luckily he
was safe…perhaps there were liquid influences involved. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!
I love you :)
Sanskrit: salamba sirsasana Western Term: supported headstand
Origin of Word
Salamba = with
support; sirsa = head
Type of Asana: inversion
How To:
1.
Use a folded blanket, yoga mat, or the floor to
pad your head and forearms. Kneeling on the floor, interlace your fingers and
place your forearms on the floor making a “V” shape. Elbows remain shoulder
width apart while you roll the upper arms slightly outward. Press the inner
wrists firmly into the floor. Bend the upper body, bringing the top of your
head to the floor. If you’re new to this pose, press the palms of the hands
together and press your head against your interlaced fingers. More experienced
yogis may keep the palms of the hands open and place the back of the head into
the open palms.
2.
Coming into a downward dog-like pose with the
hands clasped begin to walk your feet in closer to your head, actively lifting
in the top thighs.
3.
Exhale to lift both feet up at the same time, even if it
means hopping lightly off the floor. Firm the tailbone against the back of the
pelvis, as your legs rise perpendicular to the floor. Turn the upper thighs
slightly inward and actively press the heels towards the ceiling. The center
arches of the feet should be stacked over the pelvis, which is stacked over the
crown of the head. Press the shoulder blades against the back, widen them, and
draw them toward the tailbone. Keep lifting the tailbone up toward the heels
and evenly keeping the balance on the two forearms. THERE SHOULD BE NO
UNCOMFORTABLE WEIGHT IN YOUR NECK!
4.
As a beginner to the pose, stay for about 10
seconds. More experienced yogis, may stay up for longer, challenging themselves
by adding an extra 10 seconds each day. Use a yogi timer to keep track of your
progress. Exhale to come down, without losing the lift in the shoulder blades
and touching both feet down at the same time.
5.
Upon practicing headstand, stay in child’s pose
for the same amount of time that you were up in the pose.
Body Points:
*tailbone lifting up towards the heels
*shoulder blades drop down the back and come together
*core coming in and up while squeezing thighs together
Emphasized Body Parts: strengthens
the spine, neck, shoulders, and arms. Abs and legs are toned.
-The reverse pull of gravity on the organs, helps to cleanse
problems of the liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines, and reproductive system.
Headstand increases gastric fire and produces heat in the body.
Mental Achievements:
Headstand is known to some as the “king of all yoga asanas.” It helps to
develop our masculine side and cultivates qualities of will power, sharpness of
brain, and clarity of thought.
-Headstand ensures a proper blood supply and stimulates the
pituitary glands in the brain, which are responsible for growth and sex
hormones. Regular practice of sirsasana
rejuvenates the brain cells through a pure blood flow. This makes thinking
power increase and thoughts to become clearer.
An aid for beginners:
kramas or levels of a pose give us
yogis with various levels options. For any given pose, there are various levels
of difficulty. This krama that I
offer is for beginners to the pose:
- Mentally, headstand is a scary pose for many people since
it literally turns your world upside down. So, make yourself feel supported:
use a blanket or yoga mat under your arms and practice this pose up against a
wall. You may begin simply feeling the shift of weight into the arms without
lifting the legs. THAT’S GREAT! You’re a step closer to getting into your
headstand. Then, practice lifting one leg up, making sure you alternate,
lifting each leg for balance. You’ll know when you’re ready to try lifting both
legs up and move away from the wall towards the center of the room.
Chakra: 7th
chakra, Sahasrara symbolized by a
violet color and the thousand-petaled lotus. This chakra is located above the
crown of your head enhancing your ability to gain wisdom and connect with your
higher purpose.
-7th chakra “seed sound” or bija mantra: silence. Practice silence in this 7th
chakra pose and meditate your way to higher consciousness.
Ancient Sanskirt
Proverb: “Truth is my mother. Knowledge is my father. Dharma (the moral
code of life) is my brother. Compassion is my sister. Peace is my wife.
Forgiveness is my son. Six of them form my family. Blessed is a person who can
have them for a family.”
Element: thought
*Women should avoid
inversions if menstruating because it disturbs the natural flow and rhythm of
the body and can leave one feeling shaky, disoriented, or nauseous
**Those with neck
issues should not begin to practice headstand without the guidance of a yoga
teacher present
***People suffering
from high blood pressure, detached retina, glaucoma, hernias, cardiovascular
disease, cervical spondylitis, thrombosis, arteriosclerosis, and kidney
problems should not practice headstand.
Hours spent upside down leaving you hungry? Here is a delicious
chocolate cake in honor of my dad’s birthday. And it just so happens to be
vegan…Enjoy!
Cake Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups of flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking
soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 cup warm water, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3 cup vegetable
oil, 1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients: ½ cup sugar, 4 tbsp margarine, 2 tbsp soy milk, 2 tbsp
unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp vanilla extract
If you prefer your chocolate cake non-vegan, you can replace
the margarine with butter and soy milk with regular milk. I know my papa would
probably prefer it that way. ENJOY!
Happy Holidays!!!
Sources:
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/481.
Viewed 12/20/12.
http://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/Articles/headstand.html.
Viewed 12/20/12.
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-BEST-chococlate-cake-ever...that-happens-to-be/.
Viewed 12/20/12.
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