60 - 90 Mins
Levelling-up Sirsasana, Part I: Complementary Practice for Headstand with Upper Body Focus
The sessions in this Short Course present the most common sirsasana (headstand) mistakes, and strategies to correct them. The first two parts of the Short Course present preparatory actions/ asanas that must be consistently done for a robust sirsasana practice.
This first part is a good upper body strengthening and toning practice by itself. Experienced beginners can attempt this session even if they have not yet started a sirsasana practice.
This session is part of the Short Course Levelling-up your Sirsasana Practice (Short Course; Level: Intermediate). We recommend working with all the sessions in the Short Course to get an understanding of the subject.
Duration: 60 mins.
Level: Experienced beginners, Intermediate
Props needed: blocks, a belt, a low table, any chair, access to a wall
Tag words: 60mins arms rotator cuffs shoulder health shoulders sirsasana upper arms upper back Upper Back health
Sirsasana and sarvangasana (headstand and shoulderstand) are regarded as the ‘parent’ asanas. On a physiological level, their beneficial effects are systemic, but their effect go beyond the physical. These two practices also complement each other beautifully. But to derive the full benefit of these asanas – and to continue to derive their benefits for a long time to come – it is essential to refine them. We should not consistently feel pain and discomfort in the headstand – either while being in the position, or after coming out of it. Especially in sirsasana, corrections might be required in several areas. The sessions in this Short Course present the most common sirsasana mistakes, and strategies to correct them. The first couple of sessions present preparatory actions and asanas for a robust sirsasana practice.
To keep the recordings to a reasonable duration, parts III, IV, V, and VI of this Short Course directly start with a sirsasana. In your regular practice, especially if you are still in the process of refining your sirsasana, this is not recommended. For this reason, we recommend you familiarise yourself well with the first 2 parts of this Short Course, and always do at least a part of this practice before attempting sirsasana.
This first part is a good upper body strengthening and toning practice by itself, and can be attempted by experienced beginner even if they have not yet started a sirsasana practice
Note:
- Sirsasana is best learnt when the beginner-level asanas have been practiced for a while, to make the limbs ready
- Although sirsasana is not a beginner-level practice, this session can be attempted by experienced beginner-level practitioners
- If you have shoulder weakness or injury be cautious with some of the actions in this session – especially the ones involving the rotator cuff area of the shoulders
- women are advised to avoid sirsasana during the days of monthly periods. But the actions in this session can be attempted as long as they do not involve taking the body upside-down
