2. Salamba Shirshasana or the headstand is a way to change one's perspective of the world around them. It symbolizes the peepul tree whose roots grow not in the ground, but in heaven. By performing this action, we obtain a greater view of the world, while also being attached to a higher purpose, as is represented by the sky. When one is upside down, it seems that certain worries and fears can slip away in this altered perception.
A. Instructions to achieve Salamba Shirshasana
1. Prepare the neck and spine by performing a few prelimi6nary actions such Downward Dog and Cat-Cow stretches.
2. Go to mat, if one is a beginner to this pose, they should consider placing a mat near a wall to help them. Also place a folded blanket that will provide support for the neck and arms.
3. Place arms on blanket, making sure they are in line with the rest of your body but far apart enough to leave space for the head. Place the very center of the head in between the arms.
4. Then stretch into a semi-downward dog, leaving the arms and head in the same place. Then begin to walk the legs forward, keeping them straight.
5. After becoming comfortable, lift the legs up, either keeping them on the wall for a modified position of keeping them near the chest.
6. Lift both legs into a vertical position, finding your balance.
7. To return to the ground, either bend the legs then eventually bring them down, or walk the hands out to return to a horizontal position.
B. Actions involved in Salamba Shirshasana
One must be certain to engage the neck, much like jhalandra bandha, to make sure that the rest of the body is stage and the neck does not get to tired or hurt. One should also try to engage the other bandhas, making sure the abdomen is tight, while the quadriceps can also be engaged if stable.
5. Some of the benefits of Salamba Shirshasana are that, it provides increase circulation of the blood to the head, and therefore provides the brain, one of the most important of all organs, with more nourishing blood.
6. To be honest, at first, I did not entirely feel comfortable with this pose, mostly because of the strain on my neck and shoulders. However, as I began to do practice it more, I began to see that I felt a little better, a little more refreshed after Salamba Shirshasana.
7. Bibliography
http://www.ascentmagazine.com/columns.aspx?columnID=77&issueID=25
http://yoga.about.com/od/howtospeakyoga/g/jhalandara.htm
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