Padma Sirsasana
sahasara min - YogPlan

Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

ajna chakra

Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna)

Inversion Asanas

Padma Sirsasana

Lotus Headstand Pose

(pad-ma-sir-sa-sun)

Meaning: padma = lotus / sirsa=head

Table of content

Muscle and Joints:

Preparation

Sit in Vajrasana, both palms on your knees. Keep your neck and spine straight. Adjust knees, calf muscles, and ankles to avoid leg pain. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Getting into position

Come into Sirshasana (Head Stand). Move the left leg back slightly to open the right hip, bend the right knee and place the right foot as close to the left upper thigh as possible and lift the right knee up. Move the right knee back (to make space for the left foot), bend the left knee, and place the left foot as close to the right upper thigh as possible. Lift the knees up and bring the legs and hips in-line with the torso. Hold with normal breathing for as long as comfortable.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body. Carefully uncross and straighten the legs. Inhale. Exhaling, bring the legs down, one at a time. Come into Shashankasana (Moon Pose) for a few moments; then, sit back into Vajrasana. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Tips

  • Do not rest your head on a hard floor. Use a folded towel under your head for cushioning.
  • If struggling to balance, use a wall for support.
  • Keep the spine straight and the abdominal muscles strong during this pose.
  • Keep the chest open and abdominal muscles, arms, and shoulders strong in this pose to minimize pressure on the neck.
  • If you lose your balance, release the interlocked fingers, bend the knees, and roll down to the floor.
  • If difficult to get the second foot into Padmasana, try to wiggle/shift the toes over the opposite knee to settle legs into position.

Awareness Spiritual:

Precautions

Avoid

If you suffer from migraines, high or low blood pressure, herniated (slipped) disc, thrombosis (blood clots) or severe near (vision) sightedness, or chronic/serious neck, shoulder, hip, knee, heart problems.

Be careful

If you have neck, shoulder, or sciatic nerve issues, diarrhea, constipation, if you are menstruating, or get dizzy easily.

Benefits

General

  • Opens the chest, hips, and pelvis.
  • Stretches abdomen, thighs, and knees.
  • Strengthens arms, shoulders, neck, back, chest, abdominal and glutes.
  • Increases blood flow to the head and brain.
  • Stimulates thyroid and parathyroid glands.
  • Improves balance and concentration.
  • Relieves fatigue.

Therapeutic

Relieves insomnia.

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