Salamba Sirsasana = supported headstand
salamba= supported sirsa= head
benefits:
-brings a rejuvenating supply of blood to the brain cells
-enhances clarity of thought, increases concentration, and sharpens memory
-builds stamina
-alleviates insomnia
-reduces the occurance of heart palpitations
-helps to cure halitosis
-strengthens the lungs
-improves the function of the pituitary and pineal glands
-increases the hemoglobin content in the blood
-relieves the symptos of colds, coughs, and tonsillitis
-brings relief from digestive problems, when practiced in conjunction with shoulder stand
Stand on your head: turn your perspective upside down
For a pose that promises so many amazing benefits when practiced regularly, it is no wonder that it is often referred to as the king of all the asanas. Some go so far as to believe that if you only had time for one pose each day, it ought to be headstand.
Okay, so take a deep breath, and just for a moment, imagine yourself standing in the center of your yoga mat, ON YOUR HEAD. Some may have no problem drawing that image in their mind. But many may not be able to even imagine or picture this....the mere thought may cause anxiety and doubts which are just too overwhelming.
I get it. I totally understand, but I insist that we all challenge these beliefs. And luckily enough, practicing sirsasana allows us to begin to question self-limiting belief systems. Sirsasana helps us to create new, more optimal, pathways in our minds, so that we can change our patterns and challenge what we have told ourselves for so many years, and have ultimately, come to believe as the truth.
Balancing on our heads also requires the courage to take a leap of faith. It requires that we not be paralyzed by the thought of falling, but instead curious about the feeling of freedom we can and will experience once that point of balance is found.
Balancing on our heads builds self confidence. It makes us realize that we are bigger and better than the ways in which we minimize ourselves, and our abilities.
Balancing on our heads allows us to feel particularly grounded in the world. Even though the feet are facing the sky, and are the furthest from the mat, the sensation of having ones head rooted firmly into the earth is surprisingly extremely humbling and grounding.
Balancing on our heads allows us to reconnect with our inner child, and remember that life is fun, and filled with experiences that can cause us to smile or even laugh at ourselves. If you have ever seen someones face while hanging out in headstand, you will know just what i am talking about. The skin sort of sags down and looks "mr. potatoe-headish"...any child would surely get a chuckle out of the funny face. And what playful child would turn down an opportunity to invert his or her body, just for the sake of doing it, so as to see what the world is like upside down?
Balancing on our heads gives us a whole new way of looking at not only ourselves, but also the room, the people in the room, and the world all around the room. This new way of seeing can inspire creativity, insight, and an overall broader awareness. Our minds are stretched to their edge, and broadened in a new direction.
Sirsasana and the Chakras:
Balancing on our heads also tones the Ajna chakra (the third eye) and the Sahasrara chakra (the crown of the head).
The third eye is the center of insight and intuition. It is the eye that is used to gaze deep within, so that we can see and experience ourselves as the divine that is inside....so that we can see ourselves as so much more than this body and this breath, but as the Atman (soul), the bliss, the radiant light that literally fills us. As inner sight develops, illusions are shattered, and we are free to interact more authentically with the world. A toned third eye center allows us to be intuitive, imaginative, perceptive and open to the wisdom that lies within.
The crown chakra is the gateway to the universal divine....to the larger Self. It is through the crown chakra that we make our connection to our higher power, developing a sense of spiritual connectedness. When our crown chakra is toned, we are open-minded, thoughtful, intelligent and aware. The world becomes our teacher, and we are open to new ideas.
"The practice of Sirsasana purges the body of impurities, bringing strength, firmness, calm, and clarity of mind" ---BKS Iyengar
I encourage you to come to class this month and allow your minds to be broadened, and your self limiting beliefs to be blown away. Step onto your mat ready to see yourself and the world in a whole new way, so that you can step off your mat able to be more authentically involved in your life and relationships. Lets create together a more dynamic, connected way to be out there in the world...so that we not only feel better, but the world around us becomes a better place as well.
om shanti om shanti ommmmmmm
mary-ann & allison.
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