60 - 90 Mins
Levelling-up Sirsasana, Part V: Lifted Shoulders – the Essential Ingredient to Avoid Neck Strain, and to Experience Lightness in Headstand
We believe sirsasana should be learned under the guidance of a trained instructor, and we do not attempt to teach sirsasana in any of our recorded sessions. The sessions in this Short Course present the most common sirsasana (headstand) mistakes, and strategies to correct them.
This session focuses on a common problem - the inability to keep shoulders lifted up in sirsasana. This makes the experience of sirsasana ‘heavy’, and can compress the neck.
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: 75 mins.
Level: Intermediate
Props needed: 1 chair, 2-3 blocks, one belt, access to a wall. Other props may be used for supported shoulderstand
Tag words: 75mins neck prop use props shoulder health shoulders sirsasana sirsasana with chair sirsasana with props upper back
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. 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 session focusses on a common problem – the inability to keep shoulders lifted up in sirsasana. This makes the experience of sirsasana ‘heavy’, and can compress the neck.
Note:
- Sirsasana is best learnt when the beginner-level asanas have been practiced for a while, to make the limbs ready
- To keep the recording to a reasonable duration, this session directly starts with a sirsasana. In your regular practice, especially if you are still in the process of refining your sirsasana, this is not recommended. 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.
- If you have shoulder weakness or injury be cautious with some of the actions in this session
- 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
