Sources

Yoga Journal:  http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/481

CNY Healing Arts:  http://www.cnyhealingarts.com/2011/03/21/the-health-benefits-of-salamba-sirsasana-supported-headstand-pose/

My Perspective

When I prepare to do the posture, I normally am focused on the task at hand.  Usually this means I am calm.  I focus actively engaging my muscles and being conscious of how my weight is distributed.  I make sure I am breathing steadily.

While I'm in the posture, I feel calm, and more awake.  Even though my body is engaged, I feel relaxed.  After the posture, I don't feel much of the stress I had before.  I'm definitely more awake than I was previously.

Benefits of Salamba Sirsasana

Physical and Therapeutic benefits:

• Strengthens your core muscles, back, arms, shoulders, and quadriceps
• Stimulates your pineal gland and pituitary glands
• These release many different hormones for your body
• Treats various medical conditions such as menopause, hay fever, or asthma
• Clears your mind, increases your focus
• Does this via nervous system stimulation and blood flow to the brain
• Calms the brain down

Step-By-Step

Materials Needed

• Yoga mat

Additional Materials Needed for Modified Version

• A wall

Step-by-step instructions

1. Kneel down on your mat.
1. For the modified version make sure the wall is behind you
2. Lace your fingers together tightly and create a baseball sized space between your palms.  The angle formed by this should be roughly 90 degrees.  Place them on the mat in front of you and actively press down.  This makes a solid foundation.
3. Place the back of your head against the open space between your palms.  Elbows should be flexed to be a little less than 90 degrees.  Engage the core muscles like you would in tadasana.  Keep your neck and back extended.
4. Inhale and flex your hips so that you are now in a downward dog position.  Keep your quadriceps engaged and your knees extended.
5. From here you can walk your feet towards your head or flex your knees and make a little jump before extending your knees and hips so they are aligned perpendicularly to the floor.  Feet should be dorsiflexed.
1. If you are doing the modified version,  walk your feet up the wall until your back is fully extended and perpendicular to the floor.  Your hips should remain flexed at 90 degrees.
6. Hold this pose for a few seconds if you are a beginner.  When getting out of this positon, slowly flex your knees and hips.  Set your feet down on ground so you are in a downward dog position again.
7. Go into child's pose and rest.

Throughout this pose, most of the weight should remain on your forearms.

What is Salamba Sirsasana?

Sanskrit name:  Salamba Sirasasana

English name:  Supported Headstand

Word-by-word translation:

Sa- With

Alamba- Support

Sirsa- Head

Asana- Posture

Type of pose:  Inversion