An Easy Guide to Yoga Headstand, or Sirsasana
Work your yoga practice with our easy guides to great yoga poses. Yoga Headstand, or Sirsasana, is great for increasing blood flow to the brain and building strength in the arms, shoulders and core muscles.
Yoga Headstand, or Sirsasana, is great for increasing blood flow to the brain and building strength in the arms, shoulders and core muscles. It also helps with energy and stamina and builds body awareness.
They call Headstand the King of Asana. Not only does it discipline the body, it also disciplines the mind - instilling equanimity and focus.
Mastering this yoga pose can be a major confidence boost for beginners, marking progress in flexibility and balance.
Watch a clip for this yoga pose
How to do Yoga Headstand, or Sirsasana, in easy steps
Step 1:
Place a folded blanket on the floor. Kneel in front of it, placing the forearms on the blanket. The feet and knees are together and in line.
Step 2:
Bring the hands to the opposite elbow. Keeping the same distance, lace the fingers together into a semi-circle.
Step 3:
Extend the neck and place the crown of the head on the blanket, nestling into the palms.
Step 4:
Be on the centre of the crown and strengthen through the elbows, away from the head. Raise the upper arms and shoulders.
Step 5:
Raise the upper arms and shoulders.
Step 6:
Straighten the legs, raise the hips and walk in towards the head until the trunk is almost perpendicular to the floor. Don't let the shoulders collapse.
Step 7:
Exhale and swing the legs lightly, lifting them off the floor with knees bent. Both feet should leave the floor at the same time.
Lift the shoulders, stretch the neck and draw the navel in. Extend the trunk and the legs.
Step 9:
Keep the knees straight and facing forward. Extend the heels, soles of the feet and toes.
Step 10:
Stay in this position for 10 breaths initially, gradually working up to five. Breathe evenly.
Step 11:
To release, bend the knees and come down in reverse order. Take Child's Pose as counterpose.
Yoga pose category: Weight on hands
Level: 2
The Yoga Headstand can be a difficult yoga pose for beginners, because many of us fear going upside down.
Using the wall as support, you can build up your strength and confidence before trying to master the pose freestanding.
Sanskrit words meaning:
Sirsa – head
Asana – pose
Yoga pose health benefits:
Yoga pose contraindications:
Don’t practice Yoga Headstand if you have any of the following health conditions:
- Back injury
- Neck injury
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- Menstruation
- Low blood pressure
- Pregnancy
- Menstruation
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Lucy Edge
is a yoga advocate and writer with three yoga books to her name, including the beloved travel memoir Yoga School Dropout. She writes regularly for the national press, has authored over 150 guides to types of yoga and yoga poses, discovered nearly 250 proven health benefits of yoga through her painstaking classification of 300 clinical studies, and collected more than 500 personal testimonials to the real life benefits of yoga. She is also the creator of our yoga shop – YogaClicks.Store – handpicking yoga brands that are beautifully made by yogis committed to environmental and social sustainability.
