Tag: beginner

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
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
Headstands 101: Your First Inversion

If you want to invert but don’t know where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. You CAN do a headstand safely and without fear—even if you have no prior experience in gymnastics, dance or yoga. When I began my headstand practice about 14 months ago, I had absolutely NO background in any of these areas. I only started practicing inversions at the age of 36! It is never too late to learn a new hobby or skill. Just be patient, and remember to practice. It may not happen for you today, and that’s ok! There is no timetable for success. I will equip you with the tools and knowledge, and you will work at your own pace until you feel comfortable in the pose.

The inversion I want to introduce today is the tripod egg headstand. The “tripod” refers to the triangle shape produced by the placement of your hands and the top of your head. The “egg” refers to the tight oval tuck shape of your body in the final pose. Please approach this pose with a can-do attitude. You CAN, and you WILL.

Before attempting this pose, warm up your body with a bit of movement and stretching. Hamstring flexibility is very important in this pose.

Let’s get started:

Step 1: Find a book (or yoga block), and place it on top of your head to find the balance point. Press the book firmly onto your head so that you can remember the feeling of that balance point. The balance point of the book will not necessarily be your balance point in a headstand, but it is a starting point, and you can adjust accordingly once you test that spot for comfort.

Step 2: Come onto your hands and knees into tabletop position. Check your form, and make sure that your shoulders are stacked directly above your wrists, and your hips are stacked above your knees.

Step 3: Bend your elbows to form 90-degree angles, and place the top of your head onto the floor in front of your hands. Make sure that you can see your fingertips at all times! Your hands should NOT be along side your ears. Your hands and head form a triangle rather than a straight line.

Step 4: Tuck your toes, and lift your knees from the floor. Walk your feet in towards your hands/head so that your hips are lifted high into the air. Assess how you feel. If your hamstrings are straining, stop and re-visit this pose after you feel more limber. If your neck feels strained, focus on lengthening your neck so that your shoulders are drawn away from your ears. If the top of your head hurts, adjust your balance point a few inches. Personally, my own balance point in a headstand is not the same as the balance point with the book on my head. I usually balance a few inches closer to my forehead. This is an exploration. Find the right spot for your own body.

Step 5: Make sure that your elbows do not splay to the sides. Your elbows should continue to point in the SAME direction that you are facing! If you feel comfortable, lift one knee onto one tricep.

Step 6: If you still feel comfortable, slowly lift your other foot from the floor and place it on the back of your other tricep. Remember to keep your neck long, and breathe! Congratulations on your very first headstand.

One important point to mention—if you lose your balance, tuck your chin to your chest, round your back, and somersault out of the pose. You might even want to practice your forward rolling skills PRIOR to starting this tutorial. It’s no fun to fall, but if you somersault out of the pose, you technically aren’t falling. It is a controlled and safe way to exit the tripod egg headstand.

Wherever you may be in your yoga practice today, I assure you that it is perfect. Honor yourself and your body. Namaste.

January 20, 2014