The King of Poses

My friend Lindsey and I were walking through the campus of University of Chicago, and stopped by this beautiful willow tree to practice the King of Poses: Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand). We're always finding cool spots to show off our yoga moves. :)

Believe it or not, this picture was taken just one week after Lindsey did her FIRST headstand! Even though she had been practicing yoga for more than a year (and could rock much tougher poses like Crow, Handstand, and Wheel), she had been petrified to try the pose. The thought of putting all her weight on her head and neck, and balancing there without falling over, was just too scary. I kept telling her that Headstand is much easier than it looks, as long as you have core strength and balance (which I knew she did).

So finally one day before a yoga class in the park, I demonstrated how to do Tripod, moving into Headstand. All she needed was the education of how to get into the pose safely, and me standing there as a "wall" behind her. She went up on her first try, without me even supporting her! She couldn't believe how easy it was. Now she's obsessed with the pose, and can do several different variations and transitions.

Fear can hold us back from experiencing some of yoga's greatest poses. 

Here are a few benefits of Headstand that fear could hold you back from experiencing:

HEADSTAND:

• Supplies blood flow to the brain, increasing mental alertness and clarity.
• Calms and soothes, reducing anxiety.
• Improves sleep and memory.
• Strengthens spine, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, and abs.
• Reverses pull of gravity on the organs, cleansing the intestines, and gives the heart a rest.
• Aligns the spine, improving posture, and relieves back pain due to spinal compression.
• Encourages deep diaphragmatic breathing and reduces muscular stress.
• It's FUN, and looks really cool, and gives you confidence! :)

If you're afraid of an inversion because you're afraid of falling, you may be missing out on a lot! Honestly, I still occasionally fall out of a balance like Headstand, but I'm not afraid to fall, because I've experienced it many times (even on hard floors!) and have never been hurt. Falling is just part of the learning process.

Don't get me wrong - a healthy amount of fear keeps us alive - that's what it's for! But when you are afraid of a yoga pose, ask yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?" If the worst thing is falling, you really don't have much to fear. Try poses against the wall (I'm still practicing Handstand and Forearm Balance against the wall), with a spotter, or on soft surfaces like grass or even your bed. :)

Don't let fear overcome your yoga practice. There are too many fun and rewarding poses to try. Don't take yourself so seriously. Be bold, try new things, and you'll be so glad you did!