Headstand Tip

A simple yet very enlightening tip from the master. No, not me, B.K.S Iyengar. He says to observe your Tadasana (mountain pose). "Any defects in your Tadasana (mountain pose) will show in your Sirsasana (headstand)".

Next time you are in Tadasana, close your eyes and observe your body. Observe your balance. Is your right leg resting more than the left? Is your right shoulder higher than the left? Observe and then correct your alignment. As I wrote in my previous blog, use buddhi (your intelligence) to correct your posture and create an even and balanced standing position. Then take this feeling into your headstand.

B.K.S Iyengar reminds us that a headstand without thought and intelligence is just gymnastics. The yogi must apply his mind to his body. Only then does the yogi find peace and clarity in the pose. Without thought, the headstand becomes a burden and the yogi either neglects the pose from their practise (through frustration) or they keep failing. Do not fail. Keep trying. The "king of asanas" as Iyengar calls it is a struggle, physically and mentally, but it is all worth the struggle in the end.

"You cannot hope to experience inner peace or freedom without understanding the workings of your mind and of human consciousness in general" - Light on Life 2008