Sirshasana: Yoga for your heart
A headstand or shirshasana is a posture where you stand on the top of your head. Of all the poses in Yoga, this one might seem a bit tricky (which honestly it is), but it gives you some major health benefits. In this video, I would be sharing some amazing tips on how you can do it and enjoy its cardiovascular benefits, along with overall health improvement.
What is Sirshasana?
It is the main posture of Hatha Yoga and is referred to as the king of asana. It is said to benefit one’s body and mind immensely. However, it is a bit difficult to perform. In a study of 2009 of 4000 yoga teachers, health professionals, and advanced practitioners of Yoga, it was a surprise that not many people knew Headstand. In fact, it is discouraged by some practitioners because of the obvious reason, which is they don’t know it themselves.
To perform Sirshasana, you have to balance your body on the head with the support of your arms. It is an inverted position where the head is on the ground, and the feet are up.
When you perform Headstand, your blood pressure too gets inverted. Immediately, the pressure changes in the head, neck, shoulders, veins, arteries, lungs, and leg. The change in the blood forces causes the body to start to maintain the balance and coordination between different body systems. In a way, it wakes your body up, gives your body a major restart, and your muscles and tissues are stressed and activated.
Precautions
It is one of the most difficult poses of Yoga, and you have to have an experienced Yoga practitioner to learn it and perform it. It is recommended that you don’t try it alone and until you perfect it, do it under the supervision of a yoga teacher.
Moreover, children under the age of seven and pregnant women must avoid this exercise due to several reasons. There is a potential risk of neck injury, and if you are not in the best shape, please wait until you fully recover. If you suffer from glaucoma, you should avoid the exercise as it increases the pressure in the eyes. Also, people with osteoporosis must avoid it as the bones might not be able to balance the body weight.
How does it benefit your heart?
There are various factors that work together to strengthen your cardiovascular system. Sirshasana is good for regulating your hormones, and it prevents diabetes. Also, the increased pressure on the muscles and tissues helps you in increasing your stress endurance, and you start gaining more muscle mass. This reduces the stress on the heart when you are doing something, which takes a toll on your body.
Furthermore, when the blood pressure increases in your brain, it starts receiving much more oxygenated blood and helps reduce stress, and boosts the functioning of various glands.
Other benefits of Sirshasana:
- Stimulating the functioning of the pineal, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland; improves the functioning and coordination of all the endocrine glands.
- Improves the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis because of the stimulation of the nervous system.
- Improves memory and concentration.
- Help reduce fatigue, fight depression and anxiety.
- Helps rest the heart by reversing the blood pressure (avoid the exercise if you have experienced a cardiac arrest).
- Improves body posture and helps activate the core.
- Strengthens bones and muscles of the back, shoulders, and arms.
- Improves digestion and elimination.