Featured Asana

This asana resembles a scorpion with its tail raised and ready to strike. For this advanced yoga asana, the procedure will begin in Sirsasana (Headstand) and move into the Scorpion from there. Therefore, you must be accomplished and at ease with inversions, and able to do a stable Headstand with confidence.

Stage One: Sirsasana or Headstand

• Kneeling down in Table Top Pose (hands and knees on the floor), rest the elbows on your mat in front of you. Measure the distance between the elbows by placing the left hand around the right elbow, and the right hand around the left elbow. This ensures they are no more than shoulder-width apart.
• Now, keeping the elbows firmly in place, interlock the fingers together so you form a triangular base with the forearms. This is the base for your headstand. Do not let the elbows drift apart or you will lose the triangular foundation for your headstand.
• Place the very top of your head on the floor in between the interlocked fingers, with wrists firm and strong.
• Tuck your toes under and walk your feet in as close as you can to your chest without rounding your back. (Note: if you have tight hamstrings or hips, your back will begin to round). Press your forearms into the mat to transfer some of the weight off your head and onto the forearms. (Only about 1/3 of your body weight is on the head, and 2/3 of the weight is on the forearms.)
• Engage the abdominal muscles and slowly lift the toes off the floor, tucking the knees into the chest and heels towards the buttocks. (This is where strong abdominal muscles come in). Keep the heels towards the buttocks while your raise the knees up towards the ceiling so they are directly above the hips and shoulders. Raise your feet up towards the ceiling so they are directly above the knees, hips and shoulders.
• Press the forearms down into the mat so there is little weight on the head. This is important so the neck and spine do not compress.

Stage Two: Vrschikasana or Scorpion

• Bend the legs at your knees so the feet are dropping down towards your head. Find your balance.
• Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
• Now loosen your clasped fingers and begin to move your hands apart so your forearms move towards becoming parallel to each other. Press your palms and forearms into the mat.
• Begin to shift more weight onto the arms, freeing the head so you can begin to raise your head up towards your feet. Move slowly to keep your balance. Gaze to the 3rd eye.
• You have options - straighten your legs up towards the ceiling or keep the legs bent moving your toes towards the head.
• Hold for a minute or so. To come out of the pose, lower your forehead towards the floor, then slowly lower your legs one at a time to the floor. Try to come down with control in the same manner as you went up.
• Rest in pranatasana (Child's pose) for a moment, then move into savasana to give the body time to equalize after the inversion and enjoy!

Remember: Always work within your own capacity. Never move into pain. Enjoy the pose and listen to your body. This is your greatest protection for preventing injury.

Caution:

• Do not do if you have heart concerns, palpitations or high blood pressure.
• Do not do if you have glaucoma, detached retina, conjunctivitis (pink eye), or other eye disorders that are aggravated by pressure.
• Do not do if you have trouble with the vertebrae in the cervical region, displaced discs, a weak neck, or if you are quite overweight.
• Do not do during pregnancy or during the first 3 days of menstruation.
• Not recommended for people with brain disease or injury.
• If, while in the pose, you feel like yawning, sneezing, or coughing, come down immediately before doing so.

Benefits:

• Rejuvenates the endocrine glands, nervous system, and the entire body.
• Expands the chest and lungs.
• A reversal of the usual pull of gravity results in the blood to be drawn away from the feet and ankles, giving a rest to the veins in the legs, which is good for varicose veins.
• The inversion relieves the effects of hemorrhoids and prolapsed abdominal organs, and is helpful for the health of the uterus and ovaries.
• Blood easily flows to the neck, face and brain, nourishing them and giving the heart a rest. Extra nourishment is carried to the lungs, ears, eyes, nose and throat, as well as the thyroid, parathyroid and pituitary glands.
• Spinal nerves are nourished, and abdominal pressure is reduced, which is very beneficial for women.
• When done properly, the muscles of the back, abdomen, shoulders and neck are strengthened.
• A sense of balance, poise and muscle control is achieved
• Some say there is a psychological significance when your toes can touch your head… the symbolism is “kicking the head” to eradicate self-destroying emotions and passions, and to develop humility and freedom from the ego, resulting in harmony and happiness!

Sources of information: Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar, IYTA Handbook of 84 Traditional Asanas, The Complete Yoga Book by James Hewitt.