Posture Clinic

Ever wanted to practice headstand but not sure how to get there. This series is for you. We'll approach Headstand or Salamba Sirshasana with a beginners mind and with much integrity. We have to take it slowly and carefully. This inversion needs sufficient strength in the neck, shoulders, core and mobile hamstrings.

In this first class we'll warm up those parts of the body and check in, see where we are at in terms of strength and begin to explore our foundations - the most important part of headstand. This class can be used as a warm up class each time you want to visit headstand, prepping the body sufficiently in order to arrive in headstand safely, intelligently and with presence. Please make sure you stay with these early stages of headstand until you feel strong enough, stable enough before you move on to subsequent classes/stages. In other words until your foundation feels stable and tension free and so that your weight is hardly taken by your head.

NB Headstand isn't suitable for everyone, so please seek medical advice before practising. Please avoid if you have neck issues, back problems, high blood pressure or heart conditions or eye disorders.

One of the most natural and primal movements in childhood and in the East but of course not in the west due to modern habits, desk jobs, driving, where we are sat for long periods etc. We lose our ability to squat unless we make the effort to do it! In this session you will learn about the benefits, different modifications you can make to help you be in squat for longer and I also demonstrate ways to improve your squat. One of the best poses you can do for your body - its really worth spending sometime in it. At the end of the session I use a squatting strap that is wedged in side the door and door frame. You can get these online, just make sure if you get one you squat so that door doesn't open towards you and its firmly anchored in place before you squat!
Four Limbed Staff Pose is a fabulous pose for strength of body and mind but can cause problems if its not practiced with awareness and intelligence. The shoulder blades need to be stabilised in Chaturanga especially through the transition to the lower stage by recruiting the mid back muscles and chest muscles. There is a tendency to over load the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulders which is where problems can arise. This is a stage by stage progression into Chtauranga which will help you understand what the shoulders need to be doing and where perhaps you need to stay in your practice to build the necessary functional strength. Happy Chaturangas guys!!

Class 2 - Practice the next two stages of headstand with me. Make sure you have worked through class 1 first and you feel confident that your foundation feels stable, quiet and tension free. Warm up with class 1 or do some sun salutations and the postures in this practice first if you haven't done the previous class prior to this one. Remember its not about the final posture yet its about finding your way with the most ease and comfort and quietness. So your muscles don’t react they respond appropriately. Enjoy!

 

A classic yoga posture that evokes inner strength, courage and determination. Learn how to hold your body here whilst finding steadiness and ease.

Bharadvajasana Twist, named after the a wise Indian sage who was the teacher of great warriors, teaching them how to stay still and present in the moment in order to be the best Archers. This pose really evokes those qualities of stillness, presence and peace. Seated twists such as these require us to work with the intelligence of the body, moving mindfully into this pose with consideration of the spine and the pelvis. Keeping a healthy congruence of the joints. Learn how to safely move into this pose here.
A step by step guide into one of my favourite yoga poses Viparita Karani. A combination of an inversion to rejuvenate and calm the mind, a backbend to open the heart space and re-energise the body, and restorative to sooth the nervous system and boost your immune system. NB you can replace bolsters with 2 x bed pillows wrapped in a blanket, yoga blocks for hard back books and the yoga belt for a soft belt or dressing gown tie.

Please complete classes 1 & 2 headstand before you practise this class as we are moving into an advanced posture. And always make sure that you are completely ready in your body and confident before you move into the next stages on headstand.

In this session we will explore stages 4 and 5 of headstand. Stage 4 where we lift the feet off the ground, stepping knees onto the shelves that are our arms in tripod headstand; or tucking knees into chest in our classic headstand. In Stage 5 if we feel stable, tension free and strong enough, we'll move into our full inversion where we lift the legs up into the sky with awareness and control using just the right amount of effort.

NB these last stages may take months if practising a lot, or even a few years to prepare for so please no rushing in and certainly no jumping in. Keep the integrity of your body and listen to it in every moment - your body will simply tell you when its ready to invert fully! Trust its wisdom. Don't be led with your mind (the ego will want to perform) follow your body (be present). See how this way changes your perspective on things!

Thought to be a beginners pose but one that can be challenging all the same. This is a nice and intelligent way to bring yourself in and out of Down Dog with consideration of tight hamstrings and shoulders which can cause discomfort in the pose if held for any length of time.