Sirsasana or headstand is one of my favorite postures, and has been for many years. There was a time when I would request a headstand on every class I went to whenever the instructor asked us what we wanted to work on. To this day, I practice headstand for at least 10 minutes, 6 days a week.

This posture may seem like just a fun party trick, but it is actually so much more. The health benefits of headstand and its variations are many.

Before you begin, remember that while you are learning head stand it is best to practice with a teacher until you find your bearing. This posture is healing, but only if you are doing it properly and safely. If you have any neck or back issues, you will most likely want to skip this posture until you are recovered. It is also commonly advised not to go upside-down if you are on your moon cycle or pregnant. If you have a healthy neck and back and know this pose, here are my top ten health benefits of Headstand!

1. Relieves Stress

Headstand is known as a cooling posture, meaning that it helps you to draw your attention inwards. This posture is extremely helpful if you are having anxiety, stress, fear or otherwise worrisome thoughts. Combine headstand with long, slow breathing and you have a recipe for stress relief.

2. Increases Focus

When you turn upside down, you are increasing the blood flow to your brain. This can help to improve mental function, and increase you sense of focus.Along with helping to reduce fear and worry, this posture will improve your ability to keep your mind sharp and clear.

Click to eight more reasons why headstand is an incredible asana — YOGA. 

In the early 20th century, an enlightened Indian sage named Ramana Maharshi lived at the base of a mountain thought to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself.

Ramana’s radiance attracted many disciples, including westerners like Sumerset Maugham. When his disciples asked how to attain Self-realization, Ramana directed them to meditate on a single question:

Who am I?

Follow the maxim to “Know Yourself,” he said, and it will lead to enlightenment.

I’ve spent years pondering this question. At first, I entertained the hope that the “big reward” was waiting for me after just a few more hours of meditation. The deeper I pursued it, however, the more I realized that I could not really say who I was. I couldn’t find any solid, unshakable core of “I-ness,” since everything I thought was ‘me,’ from habits to memories to my body, changes over time.

It took me awhile to realize that being stuck was not a sign of failure. Quite the contrary: finding something definitive to hold on to would have indicated that my analysis hadn’t been exhaustive. Had I thought, “I’ve done it, I’ve found my self,” Ramana might have asked, who exactly is this self who knows? Ramana’s method is a process of negation after negation, cutting through everything you think you know about who you are.

In a similar vein, Zen instructs us, “Do not seek enlightenment, just stop cherishing illusions.”

That’s it. See reality for what it is instead of what you think it is. The trouble is that we often don’t even realize our illusions as illusions. Nowhere is this truer than with the thought that ‘I’ is a solid, substantial, independent entity. I’ve seen first hand how failing to question this presupposition leads to suffering.

Meditation: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone asks you who you are?

Read more of Daniel Goldsmith’s piece at High Existence — Here. 

Image via Google Commons

~ Camryn Manheim