Comments on: 8 Reasons to Practice Headstand (Salamba Shirshasana)

By: lucyhumphrey

lucyhumphrey — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:13:24 +0000

how does the headstand help your bowel, or can it make it to loose?

By: U T Raheja

U T Raheja — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:05:30 +0000

During my working life and also during childhood i used to do salamba shirshasana for a few minutes (less than 15 min ). After retirement I have started inceasing time gradually and reached 55 min. Shirshasana is father of all asanas which gives all the benefits which one hopes to get from other asanas. I have also started doing kapalbhati pranayam which I have reached to 30 min.Moreover during long shirshasana there is spontaneous kumbhak (breath retention) which is irresistible due to extremely exhilerating feeling

By: Jacob

Jacob — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:39:32 +0000

Mr. Raheja, do you only do one asana – shirshasana or do you also add other poses? If you take 45 minutes to do just one asana, is there time for anything else? And are you able to hold the pose without any support (the wall, for instance) for 45 minutes at the age of 75? At what age did you start? You are an interesting and inspiring person.

By: tapas mishra

tapas mishra — Fri, 14 May 2010 02:44:12 +0000

I have been practicing this from my childhood it has been more than 10 years.

By: When you’re in a headstand… | GrenadePod

When you’re in a headstand… | GrenadePod — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:01:41 +0000

[...] now and then, really straightens the spine and gives a mild shake to the body. There are loads of articles about the benefits of doing the headstand so I’m not going to list them here once again, give [...]

By: Charlotte Bradley

Charlotte Bradley — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:39:20 +0000

UTR – Thanks so much for your insight. You are obviously on the right track with headstand – wow! An inspiration. I must get my practice geared up.
Take care,
Charlotte

By: U.T.Raheja

U.T.Raheja — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:22:08 +0000

I am 75 years old and have been doing it regularly. at present i have reached 45 minutes which i do regularly. My experience is excellent .I would suggest that the time should be increased very very gradually and regularity is necessary. The health effects are excellent. UTR

By: Charlotte Bradley

Charlotte Bradley — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:48:43 +0000

Hi George,

That’s a really good question but I’m not sure that I have a simple answer for you. My first thought is that I think it is important that you only stay in the pose for as long as you are comfortable. That is, you are not feeling strained or coming out of alignment and you are able to breathe deeply. This may be a few seconds or a few minutes depending upon where you are in your headstand practice and will vary depending upon how you feel on a given day.

A recommended length of time (according to Yoga Journal – I’ve linked to the article) is 10 seconds for a beginner while gradually adding 5-10 seconds every few days until you reach 3 minutes. Then you can hold at 3 minutes for a bit and gradually build to 5. Personally, I would estimate my headstand is usually under a minute.

I don’t think there is any limit to the frequency. In many traditions (such as Sivananda) the headstand is practiced routinely and is part of the core set of asanas. So barring any physical limitations or ailments, I see no reason why you couldn’t practice on a daily basis.

Hope this helps!

By: george sawchak

george sawchak — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:59:08 +0000

what length of time and with what fequency should one do the headstand

By: Easing the Discomfort of Varicose Veins through Yoga | Yoga Flavored Life

Easing the Discomfort of Varicose Veins through Yoga | Yoga Flavored Life — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:19:16 +0000

[...] Sirshasana – Headstand [...]