Salamba Sirsasana

Salamba Sirsasana- best first done with a teacher

Supported Head stand

Inverted pose

Key Benefits

• seat of Brahman the soul, regular practice make s healthy pure blood flow through brain cells, rejuvenates them so that thinning power increases and thoughts become clearer
• tonic for people whose brains tire quicker
• proper blood supply for pituitary and pineal glands
• lungs gain power and resist climate  and stand up to work and relieves one from colds, coughs tonsillitis, halitosis, and palpitations, 
• keeps body warm
• show marked improvement in hemoglobin concentration on blood

How to get into Salamba Sirsasana

1. Interlock the fingers and create a cup with your hands, creating a space between your fingers and your wrist. Place that 2-3 inches away from a wall.
2. Keeping that straighten your legs as in Adho Mukha Svanasana and walk towards the wall moving the shoulder blades away from the ears. 
3. Once you have walked in as close as you can let the crown of your head touch the floor and the back of your head touch the  sides of your thumbs. With the majority of your weight on your forearms. 
4. Swing your legs up one at a time to the wall keeping your feet together. 

Key Point

• A beginner must have the assistance of a friend or do the asana against a wall. While practicing against a wall the distance between it and the head should not be more than 2 or 3 inches
• lift up the sternum so that thee cervical vertebrae are not compressed and weight of the body is not felt on the head
• lift the side ribs up and broaden the chest so that dorsal vertebrae remain concave
• keep the lumbar vertebrae erect so that the abdominal muscles are stretched and a the stomach does not protrude
• keep the buttocks a little way from the wall so that the neck and the small of the back are balance
• let the heels take the support of the wall so that you do not lose your balance.
• Press elbow joints and the forearms down; keep the elbows firm and do not move them; lift the shoulders and the armpits so that the weight does not fall on the ears and neck; keep the shoulders well away from the wrists; 
• broaden the intercostal muscles and list them up; keep the armpits well opened and extended upwards; 
• to list the sternum and broaden the chest, tuck in the dorsal spine and the shoulder -blades without disturbing the head and the neck;
• keep the sides of the trunk lifted up’
• let the ankles and the toes touch each other; straighten the feet so that they are in lien with the legs and not turning in or out and point the toes upwards.
• IF one overbalances,one should remember to loosen the interlocked fingers, relax, go limp and flex the knees. Then one will just roll over and smile. 

Modifications:

• heaviness or irritation in ututus, discharge or menstrual disorder or hernia keep heels apart and toes touching, knees slightly apart
• advisable for a beginner to do the head stand in a corner where two walls meet, placing the head 2 to 3 inches from either wall. In the corner he can touch the heels to either side of the walls. He should then stretch the back vertically up, gradually leave the support of the wall and learn to master the balance. While coming down, he can rest eh feet and hips against the wall, slide down and kneel, resting his knees on the floor. The movement of coming down and going up should be done with an exhalation.