Conquer Your Fears: Getting into Headstand

A headstand is one of those poses that can seem scary and unattainable. Your whole world is quite literally turned upside down, seemingly supported only by your head.

Get used to inverting and using your entire body to support yourself.

Why Headstand?

Inversions greatly benefit the nervous system. The head, being below the heart, soothes and cools the nervous system and helps to reduce stress. Fresh oxygenated blood can be sent to the head, which helps manage anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

Along with the benefits of inversions, headstand has many more:

It stimulates the lymphatic system, which eliminates toxins from the body and increases immunity.

Increases digestion through increased blood flow and movement of stuck energy.

Reduces swelling of the legs and feet caused by excess fluid.

Strengthens upper and core body.

Establish the foundation

In this variation of the headstand, we’ll use we’llp that is supported to provide maximum neck support.

Place your forearms down on the floor and grab the opposite elbows. This will give you the correct distance between the elbows.

Release your grip and interlace your fingers.

Place your fingers interlaced and your head against them. Get comfortable with your head being on the floor.

It would be best to place your hands on the crown of your head rather than your forehead. Lift your hips to get used to the weight.

Start Lift Off

When your hips reach above the head, lift one leg and bend it tightly.

Use your core to bring both knees to your chest.

You can extend one leg first, then the other. If you tip back, use a wall to catch yourself.

Tips for Full Headstand

Press your forearms, elbows, and head into the ground to reduce neck pressure.

To prevent the spine from arching, pull the stomach up and in.

To activate the legs, rotate the legs internally and press your big toes against each other.

Press your arms down and point the feet, but flex them back to get maximum energy.

Hopefully, you can approach headstand with a little less fear by keeping these progressions and tips in mind! Don’t be afraid to approach a teacher or utilize a wall to help you at first, and work through each step at your own pace.