Sirsasana

Sirsasana, away from the wall - Headstand, away from the wall.

This pose is an inversion.

When teaching Sirsasana, allot 1 minute to demo the pose, and 2 minutes to get your students into the pose.  When teaching, set your mat down 1 foot from wall, and then tell your students to line their mats up with yours.


Poses to help us learn Sirsasana:

• Prasarita Padottanasa
• Keeping the legs firm, place the crown of the head on the floor.
• Lengthen the torso up away from the head.
• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Press your hands down and lift your chest towards the thighs.
• Lenghten the anterior spine.
• Snug the shoulder blades tightly into the ribs to lengthen and open the chest.  Keep the  top shoulder blades broad as you draw the lower tips of the shoulder blades in towards the spine to support and maintain the chest opening.

Instructions for getting into Sirsasana

• Fold your mat in half, or if it is a thin mat, fold it half and then in half again.
• Place widest part of your folded mat about a foot from the wall.
• Interweave your fingers all the way up to the webbing, and keep the thumb side of the wrist vertical over the pinkie side of the wrist as you place your knuckles very close to the edge of your mat (the edge closest to the wall).  Place your elbows as wide as your armpits are wide.
• Place the crown of your head on the floor in the space made by your hands.
• Press the forearms down and lift the shoulders up away from the ears.
• Lift your knees and straighten your legs, walk your feet in towards your face.
• Snug the shoulder blades tightly into the ribs to lengthen and open the chest.  Keep the  top shoulder blades broad as you draw the lower tips of the shoulder blades in towards the spine to support and maintain the chest opening as you gently hop your feet off the floor with bent knees.
• Continue to press your forearms down to lift your shoulders up.  Lift your knees and bring your feet, knees bent, to the wall behind you.
• Use your feet on the wall to get your shoulder blades firm, and the tailbone in.
• Straighten one leg to bring your foot of the wall.  Lengthen one leg, and connect the all the way from the forearms, up through the side body to the mound of the big toe, then replace that foot on the wall.  Repeat with the other leg.
• Straighten both knees and lengthen both legs as you press the forearms down, suck the shoulder blades into the ribs, and lengthen the side body.
• Take your thighs back, then your tailbone in to firm the hips, lengthen the lumbar spine, and then  reach the legs up.
• Keep the forearms pressing down and the shoulders lifting as you bring your feet back to the wall, then bring your knees down, then your feet down to the floor.
• Rest in forward virasana.

When teaching Sirsasana, be sure to get down and look at everyone's face in this pose.  Look for color of face, sense of ease or lack thereof, and even-ness of head placement.

Menstruating ladies do not practice this pose.