You've seen hundreds of people in your yoga class standing upside down effortlessly in a headstand [1], and you want to be upside down too! Headstand is totally attainable once you build the strength in your upper body and core, and get over the fear of falling (which a wall can help you with [2]!). Here are the yoga poses you can practice to get a stable core and strong arms so you can easily balance in headstand.
Boat
How this pose helps: strengthens core and improves balance
- Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Bend your knees, and lift your legs off the floor, bringing your knees in toward your chest with your shins parallel to the floor.
- Sit up as tall as you can, and take a breath in as you slowly begin to straighten your legs.
- Your legs don't need to be straight since the action of keeping your spine long and drawing your belly in is what works your abs here.
- Hold Boat pose for five breaths.
Dolphin Plank
How this pose helps: strengthens core and upper body
- From Downward Facing Dog [3], inhale and shift your weight forward coming into plank position (top of a push-up). Exhale as you lower onto your forearms so that your shoulders are stacked directly above your elbows and your body is parallel with the floor.
- If you can't hold for five breaths, lower one or both knees to the floor.
Superman to Hollow Hold
How this pose helps: strengthens core
- Begin on the floor on your belly and raise your arms and legs into the Superman Hold [4]. Hold here for a solid three seconds, actively engageing your glutes and hamstrings.
- Without using your hands or feet for help, roll to the right side and onto your back, coming into a Hollow Hold. Make sure you're actively pressing your lower back into the floor and drawing your belly button into your spine. Keep your arms and legs as low to the ground as possible while still keeping your lower back pressed into the mat.
- Roll to the right, coming back into Superman Hold for three seconds.
- Roll to the left, holding Hollow Hold for three seconds.
- Roll to the left, coming back into Superman Hold for the another three seconds.
- Repeat this cycle for 30 seconds.
Side Plank
How this pose helps: strengthens core and upper body
- Begin in Downward Facing Dog [5]. Step both feet together so your big toes are touching.
- Move your right hand over to the left so it's at the centre of your mat (still at the top of your mat). Roll over to your right side and plant your right heel down so you are balancing on the outside edge of your right foot, stacking your flexed feet.
- Reach your left arm up above you and, if you can, gaze up at your palm. Stay here for five deep breaths, trying to keep your core strong and the pose steady.
- Repeat this pose on the other side.
Eight Crooked Limbs Prep
How this pose helps: strengthens core and upper body
- Sit on your bum with your legs straight in front of you.
- Bend your right knee, and hold your right foot with your left hand. Bring your right arm underneath your right leg, and use your left hand to help push your right knee as high as you can on top of your right tricep.
- Plant your palms on the floor, and bend your right elbow slightly to keep your knee in place.
- Press into your palms firmly, engage your abs, and with an inhale, lift your hips off the floor. If it's easy, lift your left leg off the ground, too. You're sure to feel a burn in your belly after five breaths.
- Repeat this pose on the other side.
Crow to Headstand
How this pose helps: strengthens core, upper body, and improves balance
- If you feel nervous about falling, do this exercise facing a wall.
- Begin in a Wide Squat. Place your palms firmly on the ground in front of you, spreading your fingers wide.
- Straighten your legs slightly and place your knees as high up onto your triceps as possible, toward your armpits.
- Shift weight forward into your hands, leaning the weight of your knees into the backs of your arms, so your feet float off the floor. Bring your toes together and pull your belly button in toward your spine to give you a sense of lightness.
- After a breath or two, slowly lean forward and lower the top of your head to the floor, coming into Tripod Headstand Prep [6].
- Keeping equal weight between your head and hands, lift the knees off your triceps and straighten your legs, coming into Tripod Headstand [7].
- Stay for a breath or two, then lower your knees back down to your triceps. Slowly shift a little bit of weight to the heels of your palms and lift your head off the floor, holding Crow once again. This part is tricky and moving slowly and keeping the abs engaged, feet together, and knees squeezing in is key. Keep practicing — you'll get this!
- Come back to a Wide Squat.
- Repeat this two more times, eventually holding both Crow and Tripod Headstand for five breaths each.