Salamba Sirsasana
Salamba means with support and Sirsa means head. This literally means Head Support. But we call the pose Head Balance or Head Stand. In this pose the hands are the support.
As Mr. Iyengar said in the previous chapter, it takes a while to prepare the body to do Head Stand, more time to learn the pose and another while to learn to balance in it.
It is not enough the know the shape of the pose. You have to know what you are doing in the it; which muscles are contracting and which muscles are lengthening. You learn the actions of the arms to create a strong and stable foundation through the practice of hasta mudra (arm work). You learn the actions of the legs through the various standing poses and forward extensions. You strengthen the core through the work of the abdominal poses and baby back bends.
Even with all that work, it is impossible to get the balance in the first attempt. There is a real risk of injury in rushing to learn Head Stand. It is best to be patient and begin against a wall, with someone helping you.
Sirsasana, like all poses is learned in stages:
The first stage is Ardha Sirsasana, or Half Head Stand.
This is Ardha Sirsasana.
The Second stage is Urdhva Prasarita Eka Pada Sirsasana, where you lift one leg from the Half Head Stand position.
This is lifting one leg from Ardha Sirsasana.
The third stage is where you kick up into the pose by yourself or with the help of a helper.
This is Salamba Sirsasana.
If you’d like to read the instructions for coming into and getting out of the pose and the full chapter, you can click here.