Supported Headstand: What You Need To Know | Yoga Tutorial

In this practice

Key teachings

• Importance of strong foundations and alignment in inversions
• Progressive learning through breaking down challenging poses into achievable steps
• Mindful approach to practice, embracing imperfections and wobbles as part of the process

Ideal for

• Practitioners interested in learning Supported Headstand safely
• Individuals seeking to build upper body and core strength
• Intermediate yoga students ready to explore inversions
• Those looking to deepen their understanding of alignment and body mechanics

Lesson

Instructions

Learn the fundamentals for Supported Headstand in this yoga tutorial with Charlie Follows.

In this video we'll be exploring how to do supported headstand. This is a challenging asana but entirely accessible when practised using the 'shift and lift' method introduced in this tutorial. Learning the fundamentals is the best place to start, but you will also benefit from breaking down your posture goals to discover what can be learned at each stage before you arrive in the pose.

This asana teaches balance and will build a lot of strength in the body. A solid downward dog, open hamstrings, strong hip flexors and stability in the shoulders and arms will help you master this pose. In the video, we'll look at building your base to get clear on the placement of head and forearms. We'll then go on to look at how to stack your body optimally to make it easier to lift the legs. Finally, we will look at how you transfer weight so that you can understand the body mechanics behind lifting the legs into the full expression of the posture.

If you are trying this for the first time go easy on yourself, don’t worry if the pose isn’t ‘perfect’, it will be wobbly… and probably a little messy but that’s okay, it’s all part of the process. Remember to prioritise building a strong foundation versus getting into the pose straight away. Gaining control will serve you so much better in the long run.

Thanks for watching, Charlie

💥Fancy a challenge?

Steps

• Supported Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) instruction
• The 'shift and lift' method for entering headstand
• Proper head and forearm placement to build a stable base
• Optimal body stacking for balance and ease in lifting legs
• Mechanics of weight transfer to lift into the full expression of the pose
• Preparatory exercises for core, shoulder, and hamstring strength/flexibility

Benefits

• Improved balance and stability
• Increased full-body strength, especially in core, shoulders, and arms
• Enhanced focus, concentration, and mental clarity
• Increased confidence and sense of accomplishment from mastering a challenging pose
• Stimulation of the endocrine system and improved circulation