Headstand, or sirsasana, is one of the inversion postures in our Ashtanga Primary Series. For a lot of people, this posture takes some time to master. Today, we’ll be looking at how to perform a headstand safely; including precautions, preparation postures, alignment and extra tips that will help you master your sirsasana pose.
First, the key alignment points for our headstand yoga pose: you want to create a nice stable base with your arms and head. To do this, first grab your opposite elbows and place your forearms down on the mat – the distance between your arms is now the safe base for your headstand and from here you can interlace the fingers making a triangle with the arms.
You want to have your little fingers one in front of the other (not squashed under one another) which will help you to balance. Place the crown of your head down in between your interlaced hands. Walk the feet as close to your base as possible, and from here, begin by gently lifting one toe off the ground, followed by the other, until you can progress to lift both. You do not want to jump into the posture, you want to enter with control – it takes practice. When you rise up into the full pose, you want to have all your joints stacked – head, shoulders, hips and feet.
Some precautions? Avoid this posture if you have shoulder or neck injuries. Also avoid if you suffer with hypertension, glaucoma, or migraines (as this posture increases pressure in the head). And, for women, be mindful when practicing during menstruation and/or pregnancy.

Now, let’s look at some preparatory postures that will help you perform a headstand. For this yoga posture, its important to bring awareness and engagement to your core, so you can start with some rounds of plank, navasana (boat pose) or ardha navasana (half boat). Holding these postures in stillness will help your muscles get a feel for how to hold and engage during your sirsasana. The other posture we would recommend as a helpful starting place is dolphin, which will help you get a feel for being upside down with control.

To perform dolphin: take the same arm placement as you would in headstand and engage through the shoulders and press the ground away. Your head should not be on the mat. Begin to walk your toes as close as you can to your head and hands. You can hold here for a few breaths, and then walk back out. Practice here until you feel comfortable and have built some strength in your arms and shoulders.

Some tips? Practice headstand away from the wall – it is the best way to build confidence. Squeeze the legs together and press the ground away. Try to find an upwards current of energy. And, importantly, remember to breathe, take your time, and be patient with your practice!
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