Sirsasana: The Infamous Headstand

It seems like everyone has an opinion about Sirsasana.  Either it is one of their favorite, most restorative and calming asanas or they struggle enormously with it.  I fall into the first category.  Ever since I was a child, I loved hanging upside down.  I was always upside down in trees, on monkey bars, on couches.  Since my mom practiced yoga, she taught my sister and me how to do headstands early on.  Ever since, I’ve been hooked.
 
I think one of the things I love about Sirsasana are the options: you can get into it in a variety of ways; you have options about your hands; you can play with muscles, alignment, and movements while you hold; you can come back to your feet as you please.  Depending on my mood and what my body is asking for, I will hold my arms in tripod (and even there, you have options!), keep my elbows snug around my ears, or push myself with my arms outstretched.  If I’m feeling like wiggling my hips, I can flex my knees and use the weight of my feet to pull my hips forward and back.  If I’m feeling like really engaging my core, I can open my legs in a splits position and rotate them, one leg front, one back, then switch.  Or, if I’m looking for focus and stillness, I can practice balance, listening to my breath, and gazing ahead of me.
 
Being inverted helps me find my balance, helps me take the weight off my feet and knees hips and spine.  It helps my heart pump blood to my brain and thyroid and lungs.  It helps my internal organs to get a little room in their cave.  It calms my nervous system, washing my cells with parasympathetic hormones.  When I come out, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.  I held an asana that is challenging, I gave my heart some help, I flooded my brain with oxygen and nutrients.  I feel strong, focused, and clear.
 
(I’m not going to describe the process of coming into Sirsasana, as it’s an asana that really should be done with the help of a teacher until you develop the confidence to do it on your own.)