Asana of the Week #9 Headstand

Headstand, Sirasana is often referred to as the "king of poses". It's also lots of fun! It is a good strengthener for the abdominal muscles, aids digestion, stimulates the pituitary gland and is calming to the brain.

I am showing two levels of difficulty here; with splayed hands supporting the neck, and with the more tricky elbow supported balance.

Firstly, sit on your knees, place your hands shoulder width in front of you, and place your head just beyond them, resting on the crown of your head. Carefully kick one foot then the other above your head using the abs to balance.

Slowly straighten the legs, hold for five breaths then gently lower yourself back down.

Next, return to your knees. This time, lace your fingers together and rest the forearms, shoulder width at the elbows, on the mat. Tip onto the crown of your head so that it is cradled by the hands. If you balance is really good, and you have a strong neck, you can cup the hands around your head. Lift your knees up again. This needs to be more controlled than in the first headstand. Ideally, try to raise both legs at the same time, using your muscles more than relying on momentum, which may topple you.

 Slowly extend the legs once more. Play around with balance -try slowly arching your back into a strong backbend, or stretch into inverted splits.

Each week, on  Tuesday I will share a pose and explain how to get into the position correctly. Then, I challenge you to try the asana, and tag me on Twitter (@EleanorMayC) or Instagram (@EleanorMay_C) using the hashtag #AsanaoftheWeek Comment below if you have got involved, and have fun!