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| I have been working on headstand assisted by a teacher for a few months now.
She normally stands in front and acts like the wall.
This week she gave me the green light to start practicing at home.
The restrictions are that I'm not supposed to use the wall (since the wall doesn't let you work the abs) and that I'm only supposed to practice the first phase of it, walking up from dolphin pose, bringing the knees into the chest and balancing there.
I'm having a bit of a roadblock getting into it. The first time I brought my knees into my chest, I hovered for a second and fell back down again. I tried again today. I got into dolphin pose and walked my legs forward as far as they would go. I then brought one knee into my chest. With the standing leg I tip-toed, pushed forward slightly and brought it into my chest. This slight push with the standing leg made me tilt forward a bit and I could feel myself hovering for a split second. But again I went back down.
I suspect the problem is that my weight hasn't fully shifted onto my forearms when I bring the knees into the chest. Its still partly on the legs so I keep falling back.
I also think the teacher may have been providing some assistance during the class. I watched her with the other students. The student gets into dolphin. She stands in front and pulls the student's hips into her a bit so that the student's upper body forms closer to a 90 degree angle with the floor.
If I received this assistance, then the alignment must be anatomically possible, so I'm wondering how I can achieve the same effect when practicing at home.
Thoughts? |
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| Ask her. |
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| Personally, I had to fall over a few times before I "got it".
For me, there was some fear to be overcome. |
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| ollie - 2007-12-05 8:40 PM
Personally, I had to fall over a few times before I "got it".
For me, there was some fear to be overcome.
I had to fall over a few times even *after* I got it... Persistence and determination is recommended.
Good luck,
John |
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| Saab,
I'm kind of with Neel on this one. You have a teacher you are working with. I have to assume that you've selected this person as your teacher (either consciously or subconsciously) and there is a reason for the two of you working together.
Too many internet cooks can spoil the stew. Or, put another way, "two yoga teachers, three opinions."
That having been said...I take students up for the first time after determining that they have the appropriate foundational actions in their body. Those actions are assessed in other poses or preparations. The students that do not have the actions are instructed in such away as to build to them. The students that have them can go up, either with help from me (the first time or two) or on their own.
Those going up for the first time go up at the wall or in the corner. A discussion about the use of abdominal muscles for entering/exiting the pose would generate some debate (I imagine). Though, generally speaking I would not prevent a student from experiencing the benefits of the pose simply because they did not use the abdominals "properly" to come up.
More pragmatically speaking, if you are not activating the serratus anterior, not depressing the scapulae, not rooting the foundation of the outer pinkies, outer wrists, forearms, and elbows, then I'd likely not have you go beyond that work. However, if you are doing those things, then bending the knees and walking the feet toward your forehead with the arms and head already placed...straightening the legs, and repeating the process, will build you toward lifting the legs into the full pose, wall or not.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-12-05 2:25 AM
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| Hello Saab340,
First of all, are you strong enough to walk your hips up without compromising your base? Have you measured the distance between the elbows and are you able to keep them planted, etc? If so, after you've walked your hips up, are you then able to push into the floor and create a slight gap between the top of your head and the floor, holding it? This is a good indication of your strength and form and how far you should go into the pose at this point. If you can't create that gap, then this where you might want hold your headstand practice for now, together with dolphin pushups and leg-lifts to build strength. Remember, the beginning headstand is actually an armstand.
If you can create that gap, then try alternating from one leg to the other in half-headstand. After having walked the hips up, exhale fully and pull one knee in, then pull the second in with inhalation and touch down the opposite toe. Exhale fully, always timing the inhalation to coincide with leaving the floor and touching down lightly on the opposite side. Try to do it without kicking up. Find strength and control in this transition and it won't be long. Practice half-headstand for a least a couple months before continuing on to full headstand.
Best of luck,
Om Shanti,
Siva |
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| Sometimes I can get into headstand, sometimes I can't. I don't get what the big deal is. Everyday is diff, everyday my body is diff. Part of yoga (for me) is not being too attached to getting into an asana. Assists are amazing: I got into some crazy compass pose variation yesterday that I would never be able to do w.o my teacher (among other things, it was a balance and I have no balance whatsover). It was freaking badass to see that my body could do that. Is it part of my practice? No. Will I be able to do it at home? Heck no. Am I attached to it and thinking about the time I could do the crazy compass variation and frustrated that I can't do it by myself? Nope. Do I have a better concept of what I will need to to do to make it become a part of my practice, how my body should feel when I am in it and what my body can do? Heck yeah. This is yoga; don't stress it!
Edited by ShaktiGrrl 2008-05-12 12:06 PM
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| I started out struggling with headstands but eventually, you get the hang of it. Since your falling forward I would say that you probably are not putting your weight far enough back on your head. If your to far forward on your head than you fall forward. The trick is to put your weight a little further back on your head. Than you legs will feel lighter, and they will lift a little easier. Don't go to far back though (that would be dangerous). Keep trying! You'll get the feel for it! Good luck.  |
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| I actually was feeling really good about finally getting to where I could confidently do headstands away from a wall. But then--perhaps I got too confident--I fell over backwards and really wrenched my neck. I wasn't badly hurt, though muscles at the base of my neck were feeling rather strained for a couple of weeks after that.
The thing is, now I can't seem to do unsupported headstands at all--I simply can't seem to get up without my feet hitting the wall behind me. I realize it's all psychological--fear of hurting my neck again, but it's pretty frustrating nonetheless. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| drjay - yes, it sounds like the fear is getting to you. That's ok - fear helps us stay safe! When people are hitting the wall it is usually because their knees are deeply bent and they are kicking too hard. The first foot hits the wall and they come down with a crash. There are a couple of ways to deal with it. One is to learn to go up with bent legs and the other is to kick up with straight legs but to think of kicking up to the ceiling, rather than the wall. |
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| i know this is an old thread, but interesting to me...
inversions should be learned from a teacher who practices them regularly and has strong inversions (and variations themself).
inversions are very beneficial poses, but, need to be practiced regularly. these are poses that after the basics are there, progress becomes more slow (and subtle).
inversions leave you quickly. if you do not practice with regularity, the stamina, balance, etc that has been gained goes.
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| I would work at it at home as your teacher suggested...and at the same time, I would still use the wall until ready to leave it behind. You don't have to use it, but maybe if you know that it's there - it might help. Keep practicing, you will get it!
I got it by just practicing walking my feet in toward my head more and more until my center of gravity changed. sometimes you have to stay there for a bit and allow yourself to just be - don't expect too much from yourself or try to rush. These things take time I hope you will let us know how you progress! |
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| Work on Shoulder stand and plow to build up to headstand. If you do not have a compent instructor try reading the book Integral Yoga Hatha by Swami Satchidaananda. He has gotten an immeasurable number of people started in Yoga. |
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headstand for the first time
