Category: Headstand

4 Ways to Challenge & Enhance Your Practice with Yoga Blocks

If you think yoga blocks are just for beginners that can’t touch their toes or for injured yoga practitioners that can’t sit between their heels in hero pose, think again. There are plenty of ways to get creative and use your blocks to deepen your practice in a challenging, fun way. Here are four suggestions:

Twist & Tap
Fire up your core in boat pose by holding a yoga block. Slowly twist from the lower belly to the right, tap the block on the ground to the right, and untwist your torso, coming back to center. Begin to twist to the left, tap the block on the ground to the left, and come back to center. Consider that to be one repetition. Keep your core engaged, your chest lifted, and avoid collapsing into your belly and rounding the back. The shins can remain parallel to the ground throughout the exercise, or you can extend your legs straight for a more intense variation. Work up to 12-15 repetitions.

Chest & Tricep Opener
Place two yoga blocks on the ground, shoulder width apart. Kneel on the mat, and rest your elbows and triceps on the blocks. Keep your hips stacked over the knees, and begin to sink your chest toward the ground as you bring your hands together in prayer over your head. This pose is very much like puppy pose with the added benefit of a deep tricep stretch. Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, sinking your chest lower with each breath.

Squeeze a Block in Inversions
If your eyes glaze over when you hear your yoga teacher talking about internally rotating the thighs and hips while performing inversions, no need to worry. This exercise will solidify the concept in your mind, and you won’t forget anytime soon. By squeezing a yoga block between your feet as you slowly lift into an inversion, not only will you train your core muscles, but you will also automatically create a slight internal rotation in your legs that will help you stabilize and build strength. Go ahead and try this exercise with any inversion of your choice.

Relaxing, Deep Backbend
In my own personal practice, I’ve found this to be the single most effective stretch for the upper back and chest. If you are looking to deepen your backbend practice, it’s so important to stretch in various ways to help create an even backbend through your lower, middle and upper back. Place a block underneath your shoulder blades as you lie on the ground. If you tend to be very tight across the chest and back, start out by placing the block on shortest height. Breathe for 5-10 breaths before turning the block so that it’s resting in its next tallest orientation. Again, breathe for 5-10 breaths, and allow the chest and back to open up bit by bit. Finally, if your flexibility allows, turn the block to its highest orientation, and lie across the block for another 5-10 breaths. Try placing a second block under your head like a pillow for more support.

October 27, 2015
Pose of the Week: Sirsasana A

Time to get upside down! This week’s TFM Pose of the Week is Sirsasana A or Supported Headstand. Check out the following modifications and feel free to use a wall for support! You may also like to check out my top 5 reasons to get upside down everyday HERE. Have fun and be safe!

Level 1 Modification: Keep your feet on the ground! You don’t need to take your feet off of the ground to experience the benefits of inversions. Start by sitting up on your shins and clasp your hands loosely, remembering to tuck the bottom pinky in! Place your forearms down on to your mat, elbows at shoulder width distance. Place the crown of your head in front of your hands. Root down through your forearms as you tuck your toes under and lift the knees up. Squeeze your elbows in as you draw your shoulders away from your ears. Walk your feet in as you begin to stack your hips over your shoulders. Your forearms should be bearing most of your weight. It should feel like you can almost pick up your head. Stay here and take about 5-10 breaths. Slowly release down into Child’s pose.

Level 2 Modification: Knees hug in! Start by sitting up on your shins and clasp your hands loosely, remembering to tuck the bottom pinky in! Place your forearms down on to your mat, elbows at shoulder width distance. Place the crown of your head in front of your hands. Root down through your forearms as you tuck your toes under and lift the knees up. Squeeze your elbows in as you draw your shoulders away from your ears. Walk your feet in as you begin to stack your hips over your shoulders. Slowly bend one knee into your chest. Press actively into your forearms and engage your abs to tuck the second knee into your chest. Your forearms should be bearing most of your weight. It should feel like you can almost pick up your head. Stay here and take about 5-10 breaths. Slowly release down into Child’s pose.

Level 3 Modification: Time to extend up! Start by sitting up on your shins and clasp your hands loosely, remembering to tuck the bottom pinky in! Place your forearms down on to your mat, elbows at shoulder width distance. Place the crown of your head in front of your hands. Root down through your forearms as you tuck your toes under and lift the knees up. Squeeze your elbows in as you draw your shoulders away from your ears. Walk your feet in as you begin to stack your hips over your shoulders. Slowly bend one knee into your chest. Press actively into your forearms and engage your abs to tuck the second knee into your chest. From here, slowly extend one leg up towards the sky, then the other…or, if you are capable, both legs at one time. Keep your thighs hugging in and feet active! Remember, your forearms should be bearing most of your weight. It should feel like you can almost pick up your head. Stay here and take about 5-10 breaths. Slowly release down into Child’s pose.

Be sure to check out our inversion tutorials in the Yoga pull down tab on our website, and if you are considering a headstand practice, check out: Headstands 101: The Art of Falling.

May 25, 2015
Eliminate the Struggle in Tripod Egg Headstand

Have you tried our Tripod Egg Headstand tutorial without much success? Are you stumped as to why you are unable to get into this inversion? If so, this article may shed some light on the topic and help you re-focus your efforts.

There are many elements that play into the perfect headstand— core strength, neck stability, concentration, balance, hand placement, head placement, etc. The list of factors is surprisingly long, but if I had to pick just one factor that determines whether or not a beginner can successfully perform a Tripod Egg Headstand, I would have to say… HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY!

That’s right— the tightness (or looseness) in the backs of the legs. Does that surprise you? It might. Most people rarely make the connection between hamstrings and headstands, but the connection is real. If you are struggling to climb into a Tripod Egg, your hamstrings may be the issue.

Let me explain.

Take a look at photo A below. No, it’s not really a headstand…I haven’t taken flight just yet, but this posture basically looks like a headstand with my feet still resting on the mat. In fact, if you only look at my arms, head and torso and use your hand to cover my legs in this photo, you’ll probably think that I am balancing in a headstand. The reason why this image resembles a headstand is because my hips are stacked right above my shoulders. Hip stacking is what makes it possible to easily perform a Tripod Egg headstand. How does one stack the hips over the shoulders? By walking the feet toward the elbows— a task that requires hamstring flexibility. Walking the feet toward the elbows may feel effortless to someone with loose hamstrings, but it will feel very difficult to someone with limited hamstring flexibility.

Take a look at photo B where I simulate a case of tight hamstrings. My knees are bent, and as a result, I am unable to stack my hips over my shoulders. If you draw an imaginary vertical line through my hips, you will easily see that my hips are not even close to being aligned over my shoulders. So now we have this important realization: Without hamstring flexibility, hip stacking doesn’t happen.

Assuming I have plenty of flexibility in my hamstrings, I can stack my hips and easily place my right knee onto my right tricep. Take a look at this next photo and compare it to photo A above. Yes, I have to engage my core to lift my knee, but I don’t have to change anything else about my posture. My body is already aligned and ready to go. This posture is possible because of the hip stacking. And in turn, the hip stacking is possible because of the hamstring flexibility. The final motion of lifting the left knee onto the left tricep doesn’t require much additional effort once the hips are stacked and the first knee is in place.

By now, you see the importance of having loose hamstrings, but let’s go through one final illustration. In the photo below, I am simulating a scenario where my hamstrings are tight, and I am attempting to put my knee onto my tricep. With tight hamstrings, I cannot straighten my legs. If I cannot straighten my legs, I cannot stack my hips. Consequently, it’s not even possible to get my knee onto the back of my arm. My knee is actually BELOW the level of my tricep. Even if by some strange miracle, I could crunch my body and round my back in such a way to allow the knee to rest on the tricep, what are the chances of balancing with both knees on both triceps if the hips are not aligned over the shoulders? Slim to none, and slim just left town.

If you are struggling with your Tripod Egg, and you don’t know why, I encourage you to set this inversion goal aside for a little while and focus on gaining more hamstring flexibility. Once you make progress, re-visit the inversion. I bet you’ll notice quite a difference!

If you are looking for suggestions on improving your hamstring flexibility, we can help! Please warm up with a few rounds of Sun Salutations, and practice these hamstring stretches on a daily basis. If you own a yoga strap, give this stretch a try, too. Good luck!

April 30, 2015
Springtime Flow

Spring is a season characterized by rebirth, renewal and growth. Many of us are looking forward to longer, lighter evenings and the uplifting energy of Spring. To celebrate the season (and to help you out of bed before the sun has risen), we are putting a fresh spin on a traditional sequence. Each pose within the sequence becomes a hybrid — and a hip opener — by keeping the legs in tree pose. Challenge your balance and flexibility by practicing this variation of Sun Salutation that pays homage to blooming trees and fresh routine. Remember to practice the sequence on both sides of your body, and breathe deeply through each pose.

1. Tree Pose

Start in Mountain Pose at the back of your mat. Toes are spread, spine is lengthening towards the ground. Slowly shift your weight into your left foot and pick up your right foot. With the help of your right hand, place the sole of the right foot onto the inner left thigh. Find stability in this pose by pressing your right foot firmly into your left thigh, and your left thigh firmly into the sole of your right foot. Keep your right knee pressing out. Bring your hands together at heart center. Take 5 deep breaths, then on your next inhale sweep your hands up towards the sky.

2. Standing Forward Fold with Tree Legs

On an exhale, swan dive down into this Standing Forward Fold variation. Continue to keep your right knee open to the side. Feel the hamstring stretch along the back of your left leg and the stretch in your right hip. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.

3. High Plank Pose with Tree Legs

Rather than stepping or jumping back into Plank Pose, as you would in a traditional Sun Salutation, on an exhale, slowly walk yourself out into Plank Pose with Tree Legs. Continue pressing your right foot firmly into your left thigh, and try to make a straight line with your body from head to heel. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.

4. Side Plank Pose with Tree Legs

Before moving into your Chaturanga Dandasana, which is usually the next pose in the Sun Salutation, take a short detour into Side Plank Pose with Tree Legs. On an inhale, shift your weight onto your left hand, roll onto the outer edge of the left foot and pop up onto your right fingertips. Find your balance here. On the exhale, slowly extend your right hand up towards the sky. Keep your hips lifting as you continue to root down through your left hand. Look up at your right hand for an added challenge. Stay here for 3-5 breaths and return into your High Plank Pose with Tree Legs.

5. Low Plank Pose with Tree Legs

From High Plank Pose, slowly shift slightly forward. On an exhale, bend your elbows coming into Low Plank Pose (or Chaturanga Dandasana) with Tree Legs. Hug your elbows in and engage your core to maintain stability.

6. Upward Facing Dog with Tree Legs

On an inhale, roll over the left toes and come into Upward Facing Dog with Tree Legs. Feel free to modify by taking the Cobra Pose variation with hips on the ground. Press into your hands, lift your heart and relax your shoulders. Take 3-5 breaths.

7. Downward Facing Dog with Tree Legs

On an exhale, roll back over your left toes and come into your Downward Facing Dog with Tree Legs. Spread your fingers wide, relax your shoulders and engage your belly. Stay here and hold for 5 deep breaths. Complete your Sun Salutation by walking your hands back to your left foot and then slowly lifting back up into Tree Pose! Release the right foot, shake it out and repeat on the other side.

8. Optional: Supported Headstand with Tree Legs

For an added challenge, feel free to add an inversion at the end of your Sun Salutation practice. Keep your elbows hugging in, neck long, belly engaged and legs energized! To maintain our tree theme, slowly bend on knee and bring the sole of the foot to the inside of the other thigh, then switch! Remember to continue breathing. Take a well deserved Child’s Pose after you come down.

April 21, 2015
Day 6: Baddha Hasta Sirsasana A or Supported Headstand

Welcome to Day 6 of the #YogawithTFM 10-Day Challenge! We are more than half way there! Today’s pose is Baddha Hasta Sirsasana A or Supported Headstand.

View the video below for variations and check out the three steps below to help you get into this inversion!

If you are new to headstands and are looking for guidance, check out our Inversions Tutorial HERE!

[KGVID poster=”http://www.twofitmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Video-Oct-03-2-36-10-PM_thumb9.jpg” width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.twofitmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Video-Oct-03-2-36-10-PM.mov[/KGVID]

– Most of the weight should be in your forearms! It should feel like that at any moment, you could slide a piece of paper under your head.

– Draw the shoulders down and away from your ears…keeping your neck long.

– Engage everything…especially your core and legs!

October 5, 2014
Day 5: Tripod Headstand

Welcome to Day 5 of the #YogawithTFM 10-Day Challenge! Today’s pose is Tripod Headstand.

Tripod Headstand is oftentimes one of the first inversions people experience.

For step-by-step details on how to get into Tripod Headstand, view our article. And, for help falling out of Headstand, check out this article!

If you are new to inversions, please check out our Inversions Tutorial available on iTunes today!

In the meantime, take a look at the video below for variations on Tripod Headstand.

[KGVID poster=”http://www.twofitmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Video-Oct-03-2-34-09-PM_thumb10.jpg” width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.twofitmoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Video-Oct-03-2-34-09-PM.mov[/KGVID]

October 4, 2014
Yoga Straps 101

When I first started practicing yoga, I received all sorts of advice. One great suggestion was to go out and buy a yoga strap. A yoga strap, I was told, would assist me greatly in my practice. As a newbie, I was excited to buy all sorts of yoga gear, so I ran out to Target and immediately bought a strap. For months, I used this strap without any guidance. I ignored the fact that the strap had metal ends. I’m not even sure if it crossed my mind that those metal ends had any purpose! I just wrapped the strap around my foot repeatedly until it felt secure. Some days, my foot was so wrapped up, it appeared as if I had a foot injury with a large Ace bandage.

If this scenario sounds familiar, this article is for you. I know that there must be others out there who are new to yoga and have no idea how to deal with a yoga strap. I will not discuss the many stretches and exercises you can perform with your strap in this article. The purpose here is to just get you accustomed to the idea of creating an adjustable loop with your strap. (This loop would then slide over your foot and be used for a variety of exercises, which we can discuss in future posts.)

Here is your Yoga Strap Looping Lesson 101:

Your yoga strap should have metal ends. One end will have two rings, and the other end will have a single flat metal strip. If you are right handed, use your left hand to hold the end of the strap with the two rings. Your right hand will hold the end of the strap with the flat metal strip.

I know this may sound ridiculous, but my yoga teacher taught me how to loop a yoga strap with a choo-choo train analogy. Yes, she actually used the phrase “choo-choo”. It felt juvenile, and I laughed, but she didn’t have to explain it twice. Let me teach you with that same choo-choo train. Pretend that the end of the strap with the single metal strip is a train. The train goes through both tunnels. (That is, put the end of the strap with the flat metal strip through both metal loops.)

The train forgot something. It goes back over the first tunnel it sees, and through the second tunnel.

It’s as simple as that. Now continue pulling the end of the strap with the flat metal piece until you have a small adjustable loop that can fit over your foot.

You are now ready to use your strap! Stay tuned for future tutorials…

July 27, 2014
Daily Practice: 5 Reasons to Do a Headstand Every Day!

Headstand, or Sirsasana, is often referred to as the “King of all asanas”… and rightfully so. It requires both physical and mental preparation to practice this inversion. Getting upside down can be a scary experience! The fear of falling, the fear of failing, the fear of the unknown, all come into play. Once you get over the initial fear though, the practice of inverting will offer new perspective and many benefits. Here are my top five reasons why I love to flip upside down every day.

If you’re a newbie to headstands, no worries! Check out the beginner’s guide to getting into a headstand here.

#1: Increases Blood Flow to the Head

Getting upside down reverses the flow of blood from the heart, giving your heart a much needed break. Blood is able to flow more easily to your brain including the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. These two glands play a vital role in your mental and physical well-being, and regulate all other glands in your body. They also regulate sex hormones, so daily headstands can improve your sex life!

#2: Fountain of Youth

Added blood flow to your head also means added blood flow to your scalp and face. These added nutrients can possibly delay the onset of gray hairs and also give you an instant face lift by reversing gravity. Who needs botox and hair dye when you can just invert every day!

#3: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

The pituitary gland located at the base of your brain controls the release of endorphins. Endorphins trigger a positive, happy feeling in your body. The extra blood flow to this gland, helps to release more endorphins, thus making you a happier person. It also helps to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. You cannot help but smile while upside down!

#4: Tones and Strengthens

Headstands are a FULL BODY exercise. You use every single muscle in your body in order to get into a headstand! Doing a headstand every day will strengthen every muscle in your neck, arms, shoulders, back, abdominals and legs.

#5: Become the Life of the Party!

Headstands are just plain fun to do and there’s nothing wrong with that! Bust them out at parties or in the park! Your friends and family will be impressed!

As always though…practice mindfully and honor your body! Have fun and laugh lots!

XOXO

May 15, 2014
Headstands 101: The Art of Falling

I would be remiss to write a “Headstands 101” series of articles and not touch upon the topic of falling. Falling is the greatest fear in practicing any inversion. Nobody wants to fall because it feels so uncontrolled and unexpected and could result in an unwanted injury.

Today, I’m here to tell you that falling is a skill. You CAN and WILL turn your falls into transitions. You will no longer fall out of a headstand. When you feel your body wavering as you balance on your head, you will not flail around and fall flat onto your back. Instead, you will execute a controlled transition from one pose into another. The goal? Tripod headstand into a somersault. Once you master this transition, your headstand practice will soar to another level. When you can practice without fear, amazing things will happen on your mat. Let’s get started.

Channel Your Inner Kindergartener
First, remind yourself what it feels like to do a somersault. Squat down onto your mat as you rest on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees together and place your hands down onto the floor in front of you. Spread your fingers and begin to lean forward, putting pressure into your hands. Tuck your chin to your chest and place the back of your head onto the ground, slightly in front of your hands. Round your back, push off of your feet, and turn yourself into a tight ball. Somersaulting should not hurt! Keep practicing this move until it feels natural and smooth.

Once you feel comfortable somersaulting, come into a tripod egg to practice the exit strategy. If you need a refresher on getting into a tripod egg, click HERE to review the steps for this pose.

From your tripod egg, tuck your chin to your chest, round your back by squeezing your knees into your body, and safely roll out of the headstand. Practice this over and over until it is second nature to tuck and roll as soon as you feel as though you no longer have control of the pose and may tip over. Once you can tuck and roll out of a tripod egg, lift your knees from your triceps a few inches and try somersaulting again. Keep lifting your legs and practicing your forward roll until you can safely tuck and roll out of the full expression of the pose with your legs fully extended.

If you cannot master the somersault, don’t worry about it. You can always re-visit this transition at some later date. Until you can MASTER the somersault, however, you should NOT move your headstand practice away from the support of a wall. There is no purpose in practicing if you put yourself in danger. You must be able to safely exit a headstand in the middle of a room via forward roll, and until you are comfortable practicing somersaults, you should continue practicing with a wall behind you. This is all a process, so please do not be discouraged if you are struggling. It does not need to happen today. Or tomorrow. Or even a year from now. Let yoga be a lifelong practice. Be safe, have fun, and practice without fear.

February 16, 2014
Baddha Hasta Sirsasana B

Baddha Hasta Sirsasana B is probably my favorite headstand variation. “Baddha Hasta” refers to the bound hand position which is the base for this variation. With ANY headstand, be mindful and be extremely aware of your body and its position. Headstands can be fun and exhilarating when practiced with caution. There should never be any rush…the asana will come with patience and diligence. Remember to use a wall if needed!

Step 1: Get a grip!

Start by sitting on your heels. Extend your arms out, bend the elbows and loosely grab the opposite forearm by the elbow.

Step 2: Set yourself up

Keeping the grip on opposite arms, place your forearms down onto your mat and curl your toes under. Place the crown of your head down right in front of your forearms. Start to press your forearms firmly down into your mat as you draw your shoulders down to lengthen your neck. No turtles allowed!

Remember to use a wall if needed!

Step 3: Dolphin

Keeping pressure in your forearms and neck long, slowly lift up off of your knees and walk the feet in towards your head. The goal is to get the hips stacking over your shoulders. Resist the urge to dump into your neck as weight is added onto your arms, shoulders and head. Stay here and hold for 5-8 breaths. Come down and rest in Child’s Pose before moving on.

Step 4: One step at a time

When you’re ready to move on, come back into Dolphin. Slowly bend one knee into your chest, then place it back down onto your mat. Repeat with the other knee. Come down and rest in Child’s Pose before moving on.

Step 5: Headstand egg

From Dolphin, bend one knee tight into your chest. Using your core and maybe the tiniest push off, bring the second leg into your chest. I do not suggest kicking up with straight legs. Move slowly and with awareness to prevent any injuries to your neck. Once both legs are tucked into your chest, do a little check… Are you firmly pushing into your mat with your forearms? Are your shoulders melting away from your neck? Is your core engaged?

Step 6: Lift off!

When you are ready to lift up, try lifting one leg at a time SLOWLY. The quicker you move, the more likely you are to fall, lose balance or tweak your neck. If you successfully lift one leg up, THEN try to bring the second leg up to meet the first. Keep the legs engaged by flointing or pointing the toes. Stay here and breathe…

Slowly come down and take a Child’s Pose.

Remember, this is a more advanced headstand variation! If you do not get it this time around, no worries! Your yoga journey is your own… There is no timetable to your practice. Have patience and keep practicing.

XOXO

February 15, 2014