Pose of the week

Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand)

To loose the unnecessary tension in the body (especially the shoulders!) needed to do this pose you have to find adequate support from your bones. The grounding is important. A well grounded body can become still, like the way a bowl of water becomes still if undisturbed - unlike being still like a brickwall - the bowl of water always has the potential for free movement. 
Also, always keep in mind that it is the quality of the pose that is more important then the length of time you hold the pose. 

Practice

The biggest challenge coming in is maintaining the moment by moment attention needed to preform the pose. It is only when you are able to proceed with complete attention on what you are doing and feeling, rather then what you are anticipating, that this pose becomes truly safe. 

Based on the variation in the second image,  learning how to take weight into the elbows, forearms and the crown of the head is an essential first step. You need to strike a balance between pushing the base of the pose into the floor to help maintain a lift in the shoulder girdle and (as much as possible) thinking about your weight being transmitted through the bones of the upper arms into the elbows and through the spine into the crown of the head.  There should be no compression in the neck.

Note, the abdominal muscles are not what haul you up and keep you in the pose. Although you need good core strength, the belly actually remains fairly soft and the abdominal muscles really only act to help you balance the weight of the pelvis over the head.

It is worth experimenting with the different variations to find the right one for your body. If your upper arms are fairly short and your neck long then you might be better of trying the tri-pod (1st and 2nd picture) or taking a lift under forearms, like a folded blanket. If your upper arms are comparatively long then you might want to try placing the elbows further away from the head or taking the folded blanked underneath the crown of the head. Play! There is a variation for everyone, you just have to find it.

Sequencing
Salamba Sirsasana requires stability at the base, long, strong shoulder muscles that also know how to release, the muscles of the neck and spine need to be strengthened and you need a length in the hamstrings and shoulder flexors before attempting to lift the legs. Great preparation poses include;

• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Salamba Sarvangasana
• Uttanasana
• Virasana
•  Dolphin pose 
• Plank (including side plank and forearm plank)

Follow up with Adho Mukha Svanasana and Balasana.

Benefits

There are numerous benefits to the body when you turn yourself upside down; you are reversing the effects of gravity for starters, allowing all the oxygen rich blood that pools in the legs and feet throughout the day to flow down towards your vital organs and brain (which makes you feel like you've had a double espresso!), it can certainly help strengthen the arms, shoulders, legs, and spine and i've read claims that it can stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands and improve digestion. But, for me, one of the biggest benefits is the challenge to the nervous system. You need to beable to manage the fear, anticipation and desire that arises from attempting this pose to beable to make it safe. A big challenge!

Contraindications and Cautions

• Back injury
• Headache
• Heart condition
• High blood pressure
• Menstruation
• Neck injury
• Low blood pressure: Don't start practice with this pose
• Pregnancy: If you are experienced with this pose, you can continue to practice it late into pregnancy. However, don't take up the practice of Sirsasana after you become pregnant.
• Sirsasana is considered to be an intermediate to advanced pose. Do not perform this pose without sufficient prior experience or unless you have the supervision of an experienced teacher. Some schools of yoga recommend doing Sirsasana before Sarvangasana, others vice versa.