Are headstands part of your yoga follow but? If not, it’s about time that you just began to incorporate them in your yoga asana routine, for the plethora of well being advantages that they will present.
Though headstands are thought-about to be a sophisticated yoga inversion, even one of the best yoga academics began off as novices. Don’t let this inverted place scare you away, for there are various security measures you’ll be able to take to get right into a profitable headstand.
What’s a Headstand?
The sanskrit phrase for headstand is Sirsasana – “sirsa” that means head and “asana” that means yoga pose.
A headstand is a yoga pose that includes tipping the physique the wrong way up and balancing in your head. There are variations of tips on how to place your fingers to come back into both a supported headstand (with elbows related to the bottom) or a tripod headstand (with simply the palms of your fingers related to the bottom).
Being the wrong way up does put your complete physique weight onto the pinnacle, and if you’re not used to having an excessive amount of weight in your head, neck and shoulders, then it’s sensible to slowly construct as much as the complete variation of this pose. However as you prepare to construct up power, each small step alongside the best way will get you used to being in a yoga inversion. The extra time you spend the wrong way up, the extra you’re going to get to take in the unbelievable bodily advantages and psychological well being advantages of being in a headstand too!
What are the well being advantages of Headstands?
Turning your physique the wrong way up right into a headstand has quite a few constructive well being advantages. Not solely does it impression total effectively being, but it surely does this by way of being a priceless addition to help most of the physique methods. Let’s check out how a headstand advantages your physique:
Will increase blood circulation and improves blood circulation
Being the wrong way up means utilizing gravity to ship blood circulation in the other way by way of your physique (i.e. as an alternative of gravity usually sending blood to the toes, it now sends it to the pinnacle!)
Though the cardiovascular system does an excellent job of pumping blood across the physique as it’s wanted, generally when the physique will get a little bit stagnant, it may possibly pool within the extremities, significantly the toes. A simple solution to drain this blood is to place your toes up increased than your head and let gravity do the remainder of the work.
Additional time and with common follow, headstands may even enhance blood circulation as a result of the physique shall be used to experiencing the completely different results of gravity. This additionally creates a stronger circulation of oxygen across the physique, because the blood cells carry extra oxygen to new locations.
Coaching your breath to extend your lung capability, mixed with getting the wrong way up often, will make sure that the oxygen uptake in your cells is environment friendly and highly effective sufficient to energise your complete system!
Some yogis even say that this further blood circulation to the pinnacle can scale back the possibility of hair loss.
Drains the lymphatic system
Just like the drive of gravity on the circulatory system, gravity additionally works on the lymphatic system to empty the lymph nodes, and assist to get rid of wastes and toxins from the physique. The lymphatic system is a vital a part of your immune system, so the extra usually you’re employed to stimulate and refresh the lymphatic fluid in your physique, the more healthy you’ll be.
Builds power in the whole physique
To follow an headstand pose, you should have a certain quantity of power and steadiness in your physique. Even simply elevating and decreasing the legs requires enough core power, plus, you should take into consideration the steadiness you require in your core muscle groups to maintain your toes above your head for lengthy durations of time!
Should you don’t have power within the physique, it’ll put an excessive amount of strain on the bones alone and should trigger accidents. Subsequently, the extra you follow headstand pose (in addition to a lot of preliminary poses), the stronger you’ll develop into and better muscular endurance you’ll construct! Muscular power and endurance will not be solely good for yoga, however all elements in your life relating to well being and health.
Resets the nervous system
One other one in all many well being advantages of headstand pose is the impact it has on the central nervous system. The nervous system is accountable for battle and flight mode, in addition to relaxation and digest mode. To be in a steadiness place in yoga, significantly an inverted steadiness place, you should have a way of calmness about you.
To create this calmness, you should additionally create calmness and groundedness in the whole physique. This can hopefully scale back the quantity of stress hormones which are being launched, and it’ll help the adrenal glands to relaxation and rejuvenate. Lengthy deep breaths as you maintain headstand pose will help the comfort course of too.
Helps digestive organs and releases trapped gases
Being the wrong way up also can assist to alleviate trapped gasoline within the stomach or digestive system. By creating new postures with the physique, it’s a probability for gasoline to be launched and the digestive system to be soothed.
In saying this, additionally it is suggested to not eat earlier than working towards headstands or any yoga follow, because the physique wants sufficient time to digest correctly after a meal.
Supplies a brand new perspective on life
The most effective headstand advantages is that it creates a brand new perspective on life! Wanting on the world from the wrong way up, with contemporary blood circulation to the thoughts and mind cells, can create new methods of pondering or seeing conditions with new eyes.
Contraindications – who mustn’t attempt headstands?
For some, headstands might do extra hurt than good. Should you undergo from any of the next situations, it is best to seek the advice of a doctor earlier than trying any headstands or the wrong way up poses:
- Neck accidents
- Spinal accidents (disk slips, an excessive amount of compression, or present ache)
- Accidents within the shoulders and arms
- Individuals with hypertension or susceptible to dizziness
- Pregnant ladies (except they have already got a really sturdy follow of yoga asanas together with headstand)
- Ladies who’re at present bleeding of their menstrual cycle.
Newbie yogis ought to seek the advice of a yoga instructor earlier than leaping right into a headstand. This can make sure that you keep away from compressing the backbone and you’ll forestall injuring the physique.
In case you are new to headstands, there’s a probability you might really feel dizzy when the blood rushes straight to the pinnacle. For this reason additionally it is sensible to have somebody supervising you till you develop into assured in your headstand pose.
If you’d like further help, you may additionally wish to attempt utilizing a Headstand Stool that can assist you acquire confidence in your headstand talents!
Now the advantages… let’s do this Yoga Pose!
To headstand safely, realizing your physique and its limits is necessary. You will want a certain quantity of higher physique power, in addition to a way of confidence (that you just hopefully constructed up from attending earlier yoga courses!).
If you find yourself able to attempt headstand pose, come to a baby’s pose to start. Earlier than you even make your means into headstand place, take a number of deep breaths, heart your self and permit your physique to chill out (and to cease producing stress hormones).
Now, place your higher arms on the ground in entrance of you, the width of your shoulders ought to match your elbow width. Interlace your fingers, together with your pinky fingers, after which slowly straighten your legs right into a triangle form along with your physique. Hips are excessive, toes and forearms are nonetheless related to the ground.
Decrease your head to relaxation between the palms of your fingers. Permit a few of your physique weight to drop into the pinnacle, however nonetheless keep energetic within the higher physique to make sure that your neck and head are supported.
You could select to remain right here, in a variation of dolphin pose to construct power in your headstand form.
Should you do need to float your toes above your head, use your core power to softly raise your toes off the ground and prolong them to the sky.
Take a number of deep breaths in right here. Having fun with your headstand place.
Really feel the advantages transferring by way of your physique. Any quantity of leftover stress hormone melts away. The blood flows to your head, and the headstand helps to help the endocrine glands, adrenal glands and pituitary glands. This yoga pose is awakening a deep sense of well-being inside you.
If you find yourself able to launch your toes again all the way down to the ground, use your core power to land calmly. Drop again into a baby’s pose and breathe deeply.
After spending time in a headstand pose, it’s important to transition again slowly, to permit the compression to be launched softly, but in addition to totally combine the headstand advantages into your physique and thoughts.
Continuously Requested Questions
Is it good to do a headstand on a regular basis?
Sure! In case you are aware of headstand pose, you’ll be able to take in the advantages every day by spending a while on this fantastic place. The headstand yoga pose will present each brief time period and long run advantages for you if it is without doubt one of the yoga poses in your every day yoga follow.
How lengthy ought to I keep in a headstand?
In case you are new to headstand place, begin with smaller quantities of time on this pose (for instance, three to 5 deep breaths), so that you just really expertise stress reduction, not stress!
Over time as you develop into extra snug in your headstand, you might keep for a couple of minutes (10 to 30 deep breaths) to mess around the wrong way up!
