5 Steps To A Headstand: Yoga's Anti-Aging Secret

Yogis, smart people that they are, look at inversions in a revolutionary way:

They think that if, because of the effects of time and gravity, the skin is sagging, then obviously the internal organs are also sagging.

And so they work from the inside out by practicing daily postures that make use of gravity in their favor.

We can all use this force (gravity) to restore our organs to their original position in the blue print of the body, meaning the body we had when we were born, and slow the effect of gravity both internally and externally.

As you probably guessed, we do this by practicing inversions.

FEAR OF INVERSIONS

Inversions can feel scary, but, when approached slowly, and in steps, they become more manageable.

The headstand and the shoulder stand are known as the "king and queen" of poses because of their rejuvenating effects as well as:

- their work in the pituitary gland (headstand)
- thyroid gland (shoulder stand), which...
- consequently give us access to intuition (6th chakra) , and
- proper regulation of our physical energy which is regulated by the thyroid. (5th chakra).

This video teaches 5 steps to learn the headstand, the "king of asana" over some time.

I’ve broken it into FIVE PARTS so you can approach it one at the time, and carefully but surely build your confidence before you move on to the next.

For example, as you start learning it you can incorporate just the very first step to your practice, and do that until you feel very confident with it. 

Usually the headstand is practiced towards the end of the practice.

If you don't have a regular, integral practice, sign up for my newsletter now,  to receive a one-year, open-level, course that teaches you how to develop a personal, whole practice, month by month.

(As of  the February/March edition of the newsletter we are on class number 3 and the headstand has just been incorporated).

As you start getting into a headstand basic triangle (part 1 of the video above) remember that it took you a couple of years to walk up-right. You crawled as a baby for a very long time before you could walk...

So let’s say that we will give the headstand a good six months to a year, or maybe even two years, or three, or whatever it needs, of regular practice.

It’s only fear.

In my case it took a whole year of daily practice to get to the middle of the room in a full headstand.

If you practice daily, then it’s bound to happen. Do you practice and all is coming as K.P. Jois said.

If you have a medical condition always consult a doctor, remember to be smart about your practice and how you treat your body. 

There is NO RUSH.

The only way we are going is inwards, and nobody knows about your own inwards but you, so there is ZERO competition. Take your time and respect your body.

Progress in yoga is measured by how our lives improves, not by scales, figures, numbers, asanas, breath retentions, minutes or anything like that.  Taking our time and going at our own pace means we are mature enough to respect our own nature.

BENEFITS OF HEADSTANDS

- Restores the internal organs to their original position in relationship to your own body because they use gravity in your favor
- Helps the body maintain a youthful state when practiced regularly and with deep, slow breathing
- Stimulates intuition (sixth chakra)
- Cleanses the body
- It’s restoring and relaxing
- It gives us a different way of looking at the world because the body is upside down.
- It helps build self-esteem because it is always a work in progress but the progress can be clearly seen.

Take your time, breath, and enjoy.

P.S.:  The shoulder-stand also needs this approach of breaking it down into pieces, and I will be offering a video for it soon.