Headstand Variations: The Count
Let’s face it, most of us spend a scandalous amount of time with our heads loftily perched above our hearts, whether plopped in chairs or teetering on two feet. Headstand, or Sirsasana if you’re feeling posh, flips us upside down for a change. It’s an inversion that doesn’t just give gravity a new perspective, but also fiddles with your physiological functions for the better.
When you flip yourself like an hourglass, blood dawdles its way back to your heart, bumping up cardiac output, if only briefly. Your body’s baroreceptors, tucked away in the aorta and carotid arteries, get all fired up, coaxing your parasympathetic system to play nice. Heart rates and blood pressures take a serenity pill. Cerebrospinal fluid might even decide to mosey towards your brain, potentially enhancing nutrient transport, if you can even believe in such things.
There’s beefing up of the paraspinous muscles on the docket, not to mention a chiropractor’s dream of better spinal alignment, so long as you’re aligning with gravity like a pro. But do pay attention: screw up your Sirsasana, and gravity won’t be your BFF.
Before you become a headstand hero, it’s not a bad idea to whip those muscles into shape and engrain the right moves through prep exercises. And if you’re afflicted by cervical spine woes, don’t try this solo. Get a qualified teacher to nanny you through it. Alternatively, give restorative poses a whirl for many of the same perks sans the inversion drama.
When you’re inverted, it’s like a circus act for your body. The shoulders flex and spin externally, elbows bend just so, and your trunk spreads out like butter on toast. Hips extend and huddle closer together, knees iron out, and your feet might decide to party with the toes.
Your triceps play the noble role of ground stabilizer for forearms, while biceps make a balancing act look easy. Both muscles moonlight over the shoulder joint, ensuring your arm’s ball-and-socket situation stays secure. Anterior deltoids take the shoulders higher, and the lower trapezius throws the cervical spine a lifeline by saying “down shoulders!” Meanwhile, the infraspinatus and teres minor guard the shoulder joint.
The trunk’s cheerleaders include the erector spinae, keeping you upright, and the rectus abdominis, making sure your rib cage stays modest. In tandem, these muscle groups fashion a torso security blanket. Quadratus lumborum and psoas buddy up for lumbar support.
In the whole pelvis-and-legs department, the gluteus maximus shines in the hip extension role, while the psoas plays chaperone for pelvic neutrality. Enter the tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius for hip stability—the dynamic duo making sure your legs don’t wander off. Adductor muscles call in the thighs for a group hug, and quadriceps maintain knee diligence.
Take up Sirsasana to boost body alignment awareness and cultivate a strength conducive to both physical mastery and a semblance of mental stability. For those itching to dive deep into the nitty-gritty, mosey on over to Ashtanga Techniques.