Asana · Learn with a teacher
Sirsasana A
Headstand A
Headstand. Inverted on the forearms and crown, hands cupped round the back of the head.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
- Meaning
- sirsa = head, asana = seat or posture
- Family
- Inversion
- Level
- Advanced
- Gaze
- Nose
Take care
Learn this with a teacher. Avoid with neck injury, high blood pressure, glaucoma, or in pregnancy unless your teacher guides you.
Learn this with a teacher
This page is for reading. The practice itself should be learned in person from someone who teaches it, so there are no practice controls here.
Find a teacherHow it is done
- 1
Breathe out
Kneel and interlace the fingers. Place the forearms down, elbows shoulder-width, and the crown of the head in the cupped hands.
- 2
Breathe in
Lift the hips, walk the feet in, and raise the legs with control, using the strength of the shoulders and core.
- 3
Breathe freely
Most of the weight is carried by the forearms. Stay as long as is steady.
Holding it
Traditionally held for some time. Ask a teacher what is right for you.
Making it easier
Dolphin pose: forearms down and hips lifted, the head off the floor.
What the tradition says it does
- Strengthens the shoulders and core
- Reverses the pull of gravity on the body
Variations
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4