Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| To clarify - I meant that in every religion, political party, etc., there are individuals or groups (sects) who take their ideals to an extreme point, beyond the place where most people would feel was moderate. Even in something innocuous, say stamp collecting, I am sure there are radical stamp collectors (philatelists?) whose entire life is consumed by stamps and who give up much of what typically would be called a normal life to pursue their stampy goals. |
Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Uppsala, Sweden | For most people, Salamba Sarvangasana is an easier inversion to learn than Shirshasana. So, when learning inversions, this is a good sequence principle. "Headstand tends to be a bit scarier than shoulderstand" (David Swenson, The Practice Manual, p. 226).
In other yoga styles, there may be a lot of other considerations, different from those in this method.
In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, there are six asanas between shoulderstand (never referred to as the "Seventh-Cervical Stand") and headstand (which actually rather is an arm-balance). Some of those asanas in between are more or less related to Sarvangasana. So, headstand does not follow immediately after shoulderstand. Just to make this clear to people who are not very familiar with the finishing sequence of Ashtanga...
According to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, after Shirshasana one should only do Baddha Padmasana, Padmasana (optionally with lots of Pranayama), Utpluthi and Shavasana. But before Shirshasana one should the Surya Namaskara and (all) the other asanas.
And according to the same method (passed down to Jois from Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya), in "headstand" all of one's body weight should be taken onto the arms; the head should only lightly touch the floor (with the crown of the head). [Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga Yoga: Practice & Philosophy, p. 120-125]. In the second series there are seven headstands where (at least in the Mukta Hasta Shirshasanas) more of the body weight is taken by the head, but none of these asanas are held for more than five breaths, and these are done before Sarvangasana (i.e. the finishing sequence); furthermore these asanas should only be taught to students who have mastered the art of balancing upside down with ease.
"Aspirants should note that merely putting the head down and legs up, and then standing upside down is not Shirshasana; very simply, this is wrong. Indeed, no one should be deluded into thinking that Shirshasana is an easy asana. The proper method for it must be carefully learned. For example, the entire body must stand upside down on the strength of the arms alone" -- (Pattabhi Jois, Yoga Mala, p. 116-118) I am rather certain that most other beginner students who have tried "headstand" with lifting the head off the floor or with the head only slightly touching the floor, find that this asana is not really very easy to hold for an extended period of time, even if it gets easier with practice.
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | I find that headstand is calming at that point in the Ashtanga closing sequence, although the two variations (piked legs, then head fully off the floor) are not so calming - kind of resurgent energy as you are slowing down. Shoulderstand is certainly MORE calming that headstand, and it comes immediately after the backbending sequences which are very energizing, so it fits there.
I like Nick's comment about Ashtanga not being vigorous - and it is less so as you have more strength - but I do think that relatively few practitioners find, say, the 3rd series arm balance sequences to be less than vigorous. It remains a fair question whether something like extended Surya Namaskara can compare to distance running for cardio work out. I think it can, but it depends a lot on how fast you do it, how fit you are, etc.... just as for runnning...
.. bg |
why sirsasana after sarvangasana ?
Freedom of speech translates to a right to publish pornography.
