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Half Headstand - Ardha sirsasana

Half Headstand - YanvaYoga

Contents

Half Headstand or Ardha Sirsasana (and-Ha shear-SHAHS-anah) in Sanskrit. ‘Ardha’ means ‘half’ and ‘siras’ means ‘head’.

Half Headstand stimulates manipura, visudhdhi, ajna, guru and sahasrara chakras. Stimulation of sahasrara chakra promotes stability and self-awareness. The chakra is also the source of wisdom.
Here, the toes remain on the ground as the yogi builds upper body strength and confidence.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
From tabletop, bring the elbows to the ground and interlace the fingers creating a cup for the crown of the head.
Step 2
Shift forward and place the top of the head on the ground and allowing the crown of the head to rest in the hands with the knees still on the ground.
Step 3
Keeping the feet on the ground, start to slowly extend the legs and shift the weight into the arms & shoulders until you have stacked the hips over the pelvis and the back is long.
Step 4
Once the pelvis is over the hips, press the forearms into the mat and push shoulders away from the ears (engage upper body muscles).
Step 5
Stay here and breathe feeling the strength in your arms and shoulders. Release back to your knees when ready.

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

Calming to the nervous system

Nourishing to the brain cells

Stimulating to the heart and circulation

Balancing to the hormonal and digestive systems

Strengthening to the spirit

Contraindications

Back injury

Headache

Heart condition

High or low blood pressure

Menstruation

Neck injury

Photo poses in different angles

Modifications, Props and Tips

  • You can try lifting one leg up to the ceiling and then the other as this is a preparation for the full posture, Sirsasana.
  • You can also walk into your elbows with your head lifted to intensify the movement in the shoulders, shoulder-blades and upper back.
  • Make sure the crown of the head is centered firmly on the mat or blanket and you are not rolling too far onto the forehead or the back of the head. Make sure the clasped hands are supporting the back of the head.

Variations


Iana Varshavska
Iana Varshavska
Website administrator

A digital marketer in love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. In 2021, her huge passion for yoga led her to yoga teacher trainings. After successfully completing her studies, Iana received her Yoga Alliance U.S. certification, left the corporate IT world and devoted herself to the development of Yanva. To be able to create the best online yoga space for yoga enthusiasts like her, Iana is constantly learning and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, anatomy and biomechanics. Since 2021, she has continued to attend various types of teacher training, including yoga therapy, gives online and offline classes, and conducts local workshops for people who want to learn more about yoga. At the moment, Iana continues to work on her personal practice, improving her hand balancing skills, as well as developing her own training programs.