How to Protect Your Neck in a Yoga Headstand
Sirsasana, or headstand, is a classic yoga pose that many identify with what yoga is. Called the "king of all poses," it is a way to reverse the effects of gravity on the body. It requires strength and flexibility in the upper back to practice safely.
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Instructions
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In order to practice Sirsasana, or a headstand safely in yoga, it is vital to create the necessary strength in the neck and upper back to keep the neck properly aligned and protected. Start with a series of backbends to create strength and flexibility in the upper back muscles (trapezius, lattisimus, and rhomboids) and also flexibility in the upper arms (triceps). Begin with a variation of Shalambasana. Lie on the belly and bring the hands behind the back, interlacing the fingers. Pointing the chin towards the throat, inhale and lift the chest and shoulders off the mat. Draw the chest forward as you flatten the tops of the feet onto your mat and reach the legs back. Remain for 5 breaths. Rest. Repeat 2 to 3 more times. The back of the neck must be straight to protect it.
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Add another version of this backbend to create strength in long muscles of the back that run on either side of the spine: erector spinae. Remain lying on the belly and bring your arms out to the side like wings, palms facing down. Inhale and lift chest, the arms and legs about an inch off the floor and extend in every direction. Keep your neck straight as you point your chin towards your throat. Remain for 5 breaths. Rest. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
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Now you are ready for the classic Shalambasana. Remain on the belly and straighten your arms by your sides so that the backs of the hands are flat on the floor, palms facing up towards the ceiling. Inhale and lift the chest and legs, reaching the chest forward, eyes looking to the floor, back of the neck straight and the legs reaching back. The back of the hands stay on the floor. Remain for 5 breaths. Rest. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
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Get ready for Bhujangasana, or Low Cobra. Remain on the belly and place your hands flat by your chest so that the fingertips line up with the level of your nipples. Inhale and lift the chest and shoulders off the floor as you draw your chest forward and press the tops of your feet into the floor. Place very little weight into the hands and lift the chest forward rather than up. Remain for 5 breaths. Rest. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
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Dolphin pose is next and will closely resemble the final pose of Headstand. Come to hands and knees on your mat and interlace your fingers. Place your hands and outer arms onto the mat so that they create a "V-shape" and you are on the outer edge of the hands and outer edge of the arms. Curl the toes under and step the feet back in Adho Mukha Svanasana, or Downward-Facing Dog. Straigthen the legs and walk the feet in about a foot. As you press into the outer edges of your hands and arms, reach the hips back away from the hands. Rest by lower the knees down. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
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Now move to the wall, placing your yoga mat so that that the short end is against the wall. Fold a yoga blanket so that you can pad the floor where you will place your hands and top of the head for Headstand. Loop a yoga strap and place it around your arms at the level of the biceps. Place your interlaced hands on the floor in front of the wall, on the folded yoga blanket. Place the top of your head onto the yoga blanket so that your hands form a "cup" around the head. The back of your hands should be touching the wall, but not your head. Curl the toes under and come into Downward-Facing Dog legs---as you did in Dolphin pose earlier. If there is any discomfort or pain in the neck or low back, lower the knees down and rest by sitting back on your heels.
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Step the feet in until your hips are over the shoulders. Pressing into the outer arms, lift one foot and the other until you can place your heels on the wall. Straighten the legs and flex the feet, reaching up through your heels. Remain for perhaps 20 to 30 seconds and bend the knees to lower the feet back down to the floor. Remove the yoga strap and sit on the heels, lowering the forehead to the floor, in Child's Pose to rest for several breaths. Then lift the head and chest and sit on the heels to come out of the pose.
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Tips & Warnings
Practice Low Cobra and Dolphin Pose until you feel you are strong in the upper back muscles and you feel flexible. Do not force either pose. Stop if you have neck or low back pain.
Headstand is not for beginners or those with neck or low back pain or injuries. Women who are on a menstrual cycle should not practice the headstand until their menstrual cycle has ended. People with high or low blood pressure should practice headstand with an experienced yoga teacher.
