Monday, June 11, 2012

Every Day Inversions

I decided to try a new challenge. BKS Iyengar says that there are two poses one should do everyday - Sirsasana (headstand) and Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand). I began an everyday headstand challenge one week ago and have worked my confidence up to 8 minute headstands. After day 2 of doing 8 minute headstands, it became clear that I needed to balance out my headstands with shoulder stands.

Today I did my 8 minute sirsasana followed by 4 minute plow and 4 minute shoulder stand and feel very balanced. Why didn't I do this sooner?

So why the challenge? I felt like I was loosing confidence in these poses, which I considered to be 2 of my strongest. I felt wobbly and unsure. I was also beginning to feel off balance and uneven. So, what better way to fix this than with dedication and experimentation.

There is so much time to experiment when doing the pose each day. What I learned about headstand is that I can loose myself in the pose. I will continue to have moments when I am not centered on my axis and realign myself when needed, but attending to the body can slip away.

One thing I do want to comment on - lightness. I have heard others say that headstand can feel very light, which is the product of practice. While I have started to feel the lightness, it can be a bit scary when I realize it. Feeling light in the pose snuck up on me today without warning and I almost fell onto my desk. I thankfully got through it and was able to stay secure.

Perhaps I should try away from furniture?

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