“If you can do a headstand on the wall, you can do one in the middle of the room,” remarked a Yoga Teacher in Sunnyvale, California. Was this true? It didn’t seem logical, especially for beginners. I was fairly new to Yoga, so I listened to the teacher instead of my own body. I was with my husband and a good friend in a crowded Yoga class, and all eyes were on me. I slowly moved into the pose not having a clue as to what I was doing. Perhaps I was a bit over anxious. The first four or five seconds were ok. I didn’t really know what I should be feeling and I was nervous, so I know I was not breathing properly. My legs began to wobble and I could not control the weight of my body. It happened so quickly I was taken aback. I fell sideways. Luckily, I was ok. My ego may have been shaken slightly, but physically, I was fine.
For several years after this day I had a strong aversion to Sirsasana. I guess I thought the pose was just “not for me,” so I avoided it. I thought of every excuse to justify why I should not be practicing this pose. Little did I know that I was really feeding the fear that was growing inside.
After I began my Yoga teacher training, I knew I would have to confront this fear sooner or later, but I kept pushing it aside as long as I could. There was a section in our teacher training on Sirsasana. Many people were practicing this pose on the wall, so I thought perhaps I too could experiment. Even though I still was unaware of what I was doing, and the sensation of being upside down was really strange, I managed to move into the full pose on the wall. For the next three years this is how I practiced Sirsasana. I did not practice it regularly by any means, but when I did, it was on the wall. I was still not all that fond of the pose, probably based on the fear that I was holding onto.
Eventually, I felt a natural progression in my practice and I started practicing headstand prep away from the wall. This seemed to gradually help me get used to being upside down. I started to feel less afraid and more comfortable in the pose. Things began to happen and for the first time, I felt “ok” about Sirsasana. I was not in love with the pose yet, but I could tell that I was winning the battle over the fear that had always consumed me.
Moving into the full pose (without the wall) seemed like the next step in my progression. My body told me I was ready. For the first six months it was not comfortable. I wobbled a lot and even though I was using the tools I learned in teacher training, I felt like I was working much too hard in the pose. I knew it needed to feel effortless. I also knew I could not force anything to happen. Things were progressing with the pose – - I just had to “trust” the process.
I continued practicing the pose and at times I felt like I was “weightless” – like the pose was perfect. I did not quite know how this feeling came about, but it felt incredible. This feeling of lightness would come and go. Every time I experienced it, it seemed to last a little longer. For this I was grateful.
After attending an Erich Schiffmann workshop, it became clear to me what was not present in my Sirsasana – a center point! It was all about “finding your center.” I had been leaning in the pose, in which I was unaware. This is why I felt like the front side of my body was working too hard. I was thrilled with this insight and began to practice Sirsasana everyday. I used a combination of the tools I learned in teacher training and the tools I learned from Erich. I knew the importance of hand and elbow placement, pressing into my forearms and wrists, keeping my shoulders away from my ears, and keeping my chin toward my chest. These tools combined with what I learned from Erich about “finding my center” and allowing the weight to drop down through the top of my head seemed to complete the pose. I learned from several teachers that Sirsasana was the best pose one could do for health benefits. I thought this was exciting, so I researched Sirsasana as much as possible.
The benefits of this pose are numerous. Sirsasana can help relieve back pain by elongating the spine and bringing space between the vertebrae. Creating space can help relieve the pressure. Practicing Sirsasana for only a few minutes can relax tight muscles and bring about a quicker flow of the lymphatic fluids. The lymphatic fluids will flush waste out of your system, and in turn, bring in fresh oxygen.
(for the full article, please visit my website at http://www.yogafromthegroundup.com/articles/sirsana.html)
