A Yogini's Evolution: Sunday's Salamba Sirsasana

Salamba Sirsasana ... Sanskrit for "Headstand" ... a more challenging pose ... one which I have not attempted for over a year. Okay, so it's not that hard, but it has seemed incredibly intimidating to me sitting amidst accomplished head-standers. I didn't want to attempt it for fear of hurting myself, and because the process of getting into the pose seemed too time-consuming in a class where everyone else was just popping into the pose without a problem. I figured that by the time I found a corner to prep in, they'd all be done and moving on to the next pose. So I've avoided it.

However, tonight I was inspired by my eleven-year-old nephew Caleb who wanted to do a headstand. He tried getting into a headstand for a long time in the middle of the living room floor, with the rest of the family eating and talking around him. Then it dawned on me that I am a yoga teacher in training who is "in the know" about how to work into a headstand pose. So I pulled out my notes, found my tricks of the trade, and Caleb and I headed to the playroom to work on it.

The trick to getting into a headstand pose is to find a corner (where two walls meet for any who are confused at this point). Your fore arms rest against the corner walls with the elbows down, and fingers clasped making a little space for you head. Then you place your head into your hand space, and walk your legs up almost as if you were moving up into a downward facing dog. With your legs up, you are closer to the wall and then you can kick one leg, and then the next, up to the wall.

As I explained it to Caleb, I ended up showing him what I meant, and suddenly found myself in a headstand in the corner! I was so pleased to be there in a pose that I hadn't attempted for a year and a half! Wahoo! Then Caleb worked on it, and finally got up. I explained that the corner helps us become familiar with the core and arm work that goes into the pose, and that with practice, our strength would increase so that we wouldn't need the corner.

Caleb was determined to achieve a headstand sans corners tonight and worked on headstands again in the middle of the living room floor for the rest of the evening. All of his motivation drew the attention of other nieces and a nephew who jumped on the headstand band wagon. Eventually, the intrigue caught on with my brother-in-law who popped right up into a headstand (abs of steel, Brett!). Yoga became a family affair tonight. It's catchy ... people like it ... it's irresistible in a way. I absolutely LOVE seeing the people I LOVE involved in the thing that I LOVE!