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Headstand/Salamba Shirshasana Head stand side viewSirsasana, Shirshasana (sher-SHAH-sahn-ah[1][needs IPA]; San skrit: ????????; IAST: Sir?asana), Sirshasana, or Headstand is an asana. In the Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana),[2] the body is completely invert ed, and held upright supported by the forearms, while the crown of the head rest s lightly on the floor. Sirsasana is nicknamed "king" of all the asanas.[3][4][5][6][7] Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 Description 3 Benefits 4 Contraindications and cautions 5 Variations 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links [edit] EtymologyThe name comes from the Sanskrit words Shirsha (?????, Sir?a) me aning "head",[8] and Asana (???, Asana) meaning "posture" or "seat".[9] [edit] Description This section contains instructions, advice, or how-to content . The purpose of Wikipedia is to present facts, not to train. Please help improv e this article either by rewriting the how-to content or by moving it to Wikiver sity, Wikibooks or Wikivoyage (July 2011) Sorry, your browser either has JavaScript disabled or does not have any supporte d player. You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser. Sirsasana videoArdha sirsasana (Dolphin pose) can be used to build the upper bod y strength required for Sirsasana. To achieve this asana the elbows and hands should be making an equilateral trian gle on the ground, and one should keep the elbows directly underneath the should ers and use equal pressure on each elbow with slight pressure on the head and ne ck throughout the entire asana. Keep the palms upturned, so that you can place t he back of your head gently inside the cup of your hands. Determining the point of contact on the top of the head is skill that is developed with time and pract ice. Ideally, try to identify the spot on the head that is two to three finger-w idths back of the hairline. This helps to maintain an appropriate amount of natu ral curvature (lordosis) in the cervical spine. (DO NOT TURN THE HEAD while inve rted or inverting). From this position, walk the feet back toward the face, stacking the hips over t he shoulders. As the hips come over the shoulders, press down through the elbows Slowly, bring the hips back, allowing the pelvis to be directly over the should ers. Keep walking the feet and pelvis back until there is no weight in the feet. Slowly, bend one knee and then the other so that both knees are pulled into the chest. Hold here, and experiment with the position of the pelvis, until a state of balance is felt. This state of balance becomes obvious when the yogi senses

equal pressure on both elbows and gentle pressure on the top of the head. It is possible to do this with your back near to a wall but be sure to keep enou gh distance from the wall to allow the pelvis to stack correctly over the should ers. Once this bent-knee headstand position feels settled, slowly inhale the knees up , while keeping them bent, and keep the heels tucked in toward the hamstrings as close as possible. This adds another component of challenge to the balance and control of the asana. Take a deep inhale, and 'breathe' the heels up, coming into the full expression of the asana. The legs are Active when fully extended. This means gently holding the legs together so that the feet touch. Use subtle corrections in the asana t o maintain balance. It is impossible to intellectualize a headstand. Sirsasana is about motor skills and spatial awareness. As with all asanas, the breathing guides the movement. U se the inhale to create lift, and use the exhale to release fear. When we find o ur balance in this asana, the amount of muscle energy required to hold the asana for a few minutes decreases dramatically. [edit] BenefitsLike most inverted positions, the practice of sirsasana may incre ase the flow of blood to the brain, improve memory and other functions of the ce rebrum. Included in the physiological benefits are the drainage of blood and lym ph which are held in reserve in the legs. Any inversion, when the legs are held over the heart, helps to move stored fluids into the core for oxygenation, filtr ation and elimination of metabolic/cellular wastes.[10] [11] [edit] Contraindications and cautionsThe asana is contraindicated in the followi ng situations: high blood pressure,[12] heart palpitations, glaucoma,[12] detach ed retina, conjunctivitis, brain disease, brain injury, menstruation, obesity, n eck injury, and back injury. If you are pregnant, consult with your physician be fore doing this asana. [edit] VariationsTransliteration English Image Salamba Shirshasana 2 Headstand 2 [1] Salamba Shirshasana 3 Headstand 3 [2] Baddha Hasta Shirshasana Bound Hands Headstand [3] Baddha Konasana Shirshasana Bound Angle Pose in Headstand [4] Eka Pada Shirshasana Single Leg Headstand [5] Mukta Hasta Shirshasana Free Hands Headstand [6] Parivrttaikapada Shirshasana Single Leg Revolved Headstand [7] Parshva Shirshasana Side Headstand [8] Parshvaikapada Shirshasana Single Leg Headstand [9] Upavishtha Konasana Shirshasana Seated Angle Pose in Headstand [10] Urdhva Padmasana in Sirsasana Upward Lotus in Headstand [11] [edit] See alsoList of asanas [edit] References1.^ Budilovsky, Joan; Adamson, Eve (2000). The complete idiot's guide to yoga (2 ed.). Penguin. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-02-863970-3. Retrieved 11 Ap ril 2011. 2.^ "Yoga Journal - Supported Headstand". Retrieved 2011-04-11. 3.^ Iyengar, B. K. S. (1970). Light on yoga: yoga dipika. Schocken Books. p. 127 . Retrieved 11 April 2011. "... Sirsasana the king of all asanas and the reasons are not hard to find." 4.^ Iyengar, Geeta (1 June 1998). Yoga: A Gem for Women. Allied Publishers. p. 1 87. ISBN 978-81-7023-715-0. Retrieved 11 April 2011. "Sirsasana is termed the 'K ing of Asanas'." 5.^ Hoare, Sophy (1977). Yoga. Macdonald Educational. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-356-0601

2-5. Retrieved 11 April 2011. "Sirsasana is traditionally known as the king of t he Asanas. As in Sarvangasana, the upside-down position benefits the entire body : the force of gravity pulling in the opposite direction from usual has a ..." 6.^ Ramdev, Swami (1 March 2006). Yog Its Philosophy & Practice. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 978-81-89235-15-4. Retrieved 11 April 2011. "As you m ay like, do Savasana or stand up straight after Sirsasana, so that the blood cir culation which flowed towards the ... Benefits: This asansa is the king of all a sansa. This provides pure blood to the brain, which makes the eyes, ..." 7.^ Norberg, Ulrica; Lundberg, Andreas (8 April 2008). Hatha Yoga: The Body's Pa th to Balance, Focus, and Strength. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 105. ISBN 978-160239-218-2. Retrieved 11 April 2011. "Sirsasana is called the king of the asana s because it helps to open Sahasrara chakra, the crown chakra, and it stabilizes the pituitary gland." 8.^ "Shirshasana A - AshtangaYoga.info". Retrieved 2011-04-11. 9.^ Sinha, S.C. (1 June 1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 10.^ Sivananda, Swami. "Sirshasana benefits by Swami Sivananda". 11.^ Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, H. David Coulter 12.^ a b Kathleen Summers. "Sirsasana: Can You Bleed From the Headstand?" (blog by yoga and medical expert). TheYogaDr.com. Retrieved November 21, 2012. [edit] Further readingIyengar, B. K. S. (1 October 2005). Illustrated Light On Y oga. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-81-7223-606-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Saraswati, Swami Satyananda (1 August 2003). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Nesma Books India. ISBN 978-81-86336-14-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Saraswati, Swami Satyananda (January 2004). A Systematic Course in the Ancient T antric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya. Nesma Books India. ISBN 978-81-85787-08-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011. [edit] External linksThe Headstand on Bindu Magazine I Stand on my Head for Health ABC of Yoga Yoga Journal Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Technique and Benefits [hide]v t eAsanas

Adho Mukha Svanasana Aekpaadprasarnaasana Anantasana Anjaneyasana Ardha Candrasana Ar dha Matsyendrasana Akarna Dhanurasana Astavakrasana Adho Mukha Vrksasana Baddha Kona sana Bakasana Balasana Bharadvajasana Bhekasana Bhujangasana Bhujapidasana Chakrasana aturanga Dandasana Dandasana Dhanurasana Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana Eka Pada Koundi nyasana I Eka Pada Koundinyasana II Garbhasana Garudasana Gomukhasana Halasana Hanuman asana Hasta Uttanasana Janusirsasana Kakasana Kapotasana Kukkutasana Kurmasana Makaras na Malasana Matsyasana Mayurasana Natarajasana Navasana Padahastasana Padmasana Pariv a trikonasana Paschimottanasana Pashasana Pavanamuktasana Rajakapotasana Salabhasana S amakonasana Sarvangasana Shavasana Siddhasana Simhasana Sirsasana Sukhasana Supta Vira ana Tadasana Trikonasana Tulasana Urdhva Hastasana Urdhvamukhasvanasana Ustrasana Utka asana Uttana Shishosana Uttanasana Uttanapadasana Utthita Trikonasana Vajrasana Virasa na Virabhadrasana I Virabhadrasana II Virabhadrasana III Viparita Karani Vriksasana Related 84 Classic Yoga Asanas Kriya Mudra Pranayama Surya Namaskara Asana Internation al Yoga Sports Federation? [show]v t eYoga

Raja yoga Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Eight Limbs ((1) Yama (2) Niyama (3) Asana (4) Pr ma (5) Pratyahara (6) Dhara?a (7) Dhyana (8) Samadhi) Samyama

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Contemporary yoga styles and schools Anusara Yoga Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Bikram Yoga Forrest Yoga Hatha yoga Iyengar Yoga Jivamukti Yoga Kripalu Yoga Kundalini Yoga Power Yoga Sivananda Yog asa Book Category Portal Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sirsasana&oldid=544506 093" Categories: Articles needing IPA cleanupBuddhist meditationAsanasHidden categori es: Wikipedia articles with nonstandard pronunciationArticles containing Sanskri t language textArticles needing cleanup from July 2011All pages needing cleanupA rticles containing how-to sectionsUse dmy dates from July 2011Navigation menuPer sonal tools Create accountLog inNamespaces ArticleTalkVariantsViews ReadEditView historyActions Search Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia InteractionHelp About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia ToolboxWhat links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationCite this page Print/exportCreate a bookDownload as PDFPrintable version LanguagesBrezhoneg Italiano ?????? Nederlands ????? ???? Polski Portugus ??????? Slovencina ????? ?????? Edit links This page was last modified on 16 March 2013 at 00:44. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; add itional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and P rivacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-prof it organization. Contact us Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersMobile view