(Photo: Andrew Clark; Design in Canva by Laura Harold)
In Yoga Journal’s Archives series, we share a curated collection of articles originally published in past issues beginning in 1975. These stories offer a glimpse into how yoga was interpreted, written about, and practiced throughout the years. This article about Headstand (Shirshasana) first appeared in the September-October 1976 issue of Yoga Journal. Find more of our Archives here.
Shirshasana, or Headstand, is one of the most important asanas of the yoga practice. Physiologically, it tends to bring the blood back toward the center of the body, draining the legs in particular of their venous return. The abdominal organs, with the aid of gravity, tend to fall upward, the opposite of their normal movement down with gravity in the standing position. This is believed to aid in their functioning and to partially slow the sagging which occurs with age. Energy is believed to flow into the brain.
But besides these important aspects, the psychological or emotional aspects of the posture are also striking. Just as a baby must learn the poise and balance to stand on its feet, the yogi learns the poise necessary to stand on the head. This is not just physical poise; it includes the mental poise of being able to be centered and to be aware in this new position. Each asana presents itself as a new situation; as the student learns to become balanced in each asana, this begins to affect the new situations of life as they are encountered.
Many people experience fear as Shirshasana is being learned; perhaps this posture reminds the unconscious of the first movement head down, i.e., the perilous journey down the birth canal, head first. As the posture allows this fear of being upside down to surface, the student is able to become aware of it and thus to allow it to be experienced and therefore to be released. Thus Headstand, as part of the whole process of becoming aware, i.e., yoga, aids in the discovery of another hidden corner of the mind which can be infused with the light of self-understanding.
Even more subtly, the energy of the body above the diaphragm, termed prana, and the energy below the diaphragm, termed apana, can be reversed in their normal flow. Apana in Headstand flows back toward the heart and head. This is said to impart harmony and health to the individual and to aid in the unfoldment of one’s natural evolution.
Shirshasana is truly the great “king” pose of yoga; it is central to the practice of yoga, and yet only part of the integral whole of the entire discipline which prepares the body/mind/spirit of the student for the inevitable unfoldment of consciousness.
Note:
The author believes this asana should only be learned with a teacher because of the possible problems it could create, principally in the structure of the neck and back. Shirshasana is not recommended for those suffering from high blood pressure, nor during the menses. It can be practiced during pregnancy but only under an experienced teacher’s guidance.