The Art of Inversions: Sirsasana and Sarvangasana

Kicking up into a headstand can disturb the foundation in your neck and shoulders. I teach methods to go up with control, which is safer and builds more core awareness. This video explains the importance of a slow, deliberate entry into the pose.

Neck pain should not be a regular part of your headstand. It often indicates that the shoulders are not lifting enough to bear the body's weight. This clip shows how to use blocks for support to train the upper back and create lightness in the neck.

This is an extract from a recorded session on creating lifted shoulders for a lighter Sirsasana. We explore a suite of preparatory actions that build the necessary strength and awareness before you even go upside down, ensuring the neck remains safe.

Refining your Sirsasana practice is about more than just being upside down. Here, students practice a leg variation at a wall panel, which acts like a corner to help maintain alignment and stability for a longer, more beneficial hold.

This is the Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle) leg variation in Sirsasana. Practicing this against a wall helps open the hips while maintaining the integrity and lift of the shoulders, a key principle in advanced Iyengar yoga inversions.

A group of students practicing different stages of headstand against the wall. The wall is an invaluable teacher in yoga, providing support and feedback that allows each student to work at their own capacity safely.

Here is a simple but effective hack for improving your headstand balance. By holding the position with bent legs and feet to the buttocks, you can find your center of gravity more easily before extending the legs up.

If your headstand tends to curve like a banana, it often means the core and upper back are not engaged correctly. This clip shows a partner adjustment that helps a student find a straighter, more integrated line from the shoulders to the feet.

Sirsasana (headstand) and Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) are the king and queen of asanas. They are learned progressively and refined over time. This clip shows the two iconic inversions and the importance of proper technique for their full benefits.