up lotus peacock pose). Stay in this posi
Then, while inhaling, slowly lower your legs and gently place your feet on your head, still balancing on your forearms and keeping your legs and feet together (see figure 8-57).
Stay in this position for three to six breaths. This is
vrischilwsana,
or the scorpion pose. Exhaling, quickly round your back (moving your pelvis toward the floor) and land on your toes. This will look simi
lar to figure
8-46
(on page170)
except that your head will be off of the noor and your forearms will still be flush with it.So far we have seen one position of hands in the unsupported headstand
there arc other hand positions as welL First go to the supported headstand. Then as you arc inhaling, spread your arms lat
erally to the sides of your body, and anchor your palms to the floor. Now you will be your head. During the next exhalation, you may lower your trunk. (With some prac
tice, from vajrasana, you may also be able to place your head on the noor and spread your arms laterally with your palms placed
1 72
T i l E C O M P L E T I lll_) l ) l\. l1 � \ 1 \J \'A'-.A V UL.Af ICL �E 8-58 ••••
on the floor.) Now, balancing carefully, slowly raise your legs in stages to the head
stand, slopping in akunchanasana and then straightening your legs. You may return in steps, while you are exhaling.
In the next vinyasas, as before, reach the salamba headstand. Then exhali ng, keep your arms bent in front of your face on the floor. You will be keeping your hands folded in front of your head on the floor (see fi�rm• 8-59).
Stay balanced for three breaths.
Inhaling return to the headstand, and then while exhaling return to vajrasana sthiti in stages. As in the previous asana vinyasa, you may proceed by first placing your arms in asana sthiti and then going up to the headstand, carefully balancing.
Another variation of arm position is to keep your arms spread at about
45
degrees in front of you, with your palms turned upward (;-;ee fi1�un· 8-60).We have so far seen the headstand started from vajrasana. Let us consider another pro
cedural variation leading to the headstand.
II(.U�l R·Sq •••• f i G U R E 8-bO ••••
Headstand from the
Downward-Facing-Dog Position
You may start the headstand from the downward-facing-dog pose. Because your palms are on the floor, this particular headstand becomes the hub pose for sever
al of the poses requiring you to lift your body (utpluti). Now from the downward
facing-dog position (see figure 8-61), while exhaling, stretch your body forward, and lower your head and place your crown on the floor (see figure 8-62).
l lt.LIKI R-h I ••
IIGliKf n-h! ••
T il t 1 \! \ E RT f l ) PO '- T L I IU '-f ll!:l t C F
1 73
The next step will be to move your body forward, by walking your toes up toward your body: your upper body will be almost straight while your big toes help move your body almost vertical (see figure 8-63).
Stay in this position for a breath.
From this vinyasa, while inhaling, slow
ly lirt your legs to the intermediate level;
keep your legs horizontal, while balancing on your head and both your palms (see fig
urr 8-64).
This is a vinyasa of urdhwa dandasana.
Inhaling, lirt your legs further up until your body is straight (see figure 8-65).
I IC,IfRI R·f>l ••
I IGURf R-64 •• F I G U R I 8-fo> • • •
You will be balancing on both your palms and your crown. This pose is called mukta hasta sirsasana. or the headstand with the hands released. It is also known as kapala asana, or the skull pose. Stay i n this position for twelve long inhalations and exhalations, and get a good feel for the posture.
Because of the position of your hands (which remains the same from the stage of the dog pose). this becomes the posture for several handstand postures. We can prac
tice a few of them. Pressing your palms,
raise your head and arch your back to lift your head. Simultaneously, push your legs a little by bending your waist. Now your whole body is nicely arched back, as you balance on your hands (see figure 8-66).
This is a vinyasa of handstand also known as
viparita vril�shasana,
or the inverted tree pose. It is also considered a vinyasa of pinchamayurasana. Stay in this position for three breaths, and slowly lower your legs back to the floor for asana sthiti.Remaining in kapalasana, while slowly exhaling, bend your knees, round your back, and lower your legs. Place your knees against the sides of your upper arms, but keep your feet close to each other.
During the following inhalation, slowly raise your heads while still balancing on your hands (see figure 8-67).
This handstand variation is a vinyasa of
bhuja peedasana,
or the shoulder-pressure pose. Return to kapalasana while you inhale.As in the previous pose, while exhaling, come to bhuja peedasana. Now inhaling and balancing on your hands, stretch your
FIGURF 8-6; ••••
I lt.URI n-hfo •••• fiGURI 8-r,n ••••
1 7 4
T l l r l Ui\\ r l F HB O O K
lH \I N \
'A'·,;'\\'Ol."-\
legs forward past your shoulders and cross your ankles as well (see figure 8-68).
Stay in this position for three to six breaths. This is another vinyasa of bhuja peedasana.
This time, while in kapalasana, and exhal
ing, bend your right knee and place it on your left thigh close to your groin. During the next exhalation, slowly bend your left knee and place your left foot on your right thigh near your right groin. Stay in this posi
tion for three breaths, adjusting the lotus position of your legs. Now as you are smoothly exhali ng, round your back, and lower your legs. As you raise your upper body during the next inhalation, lift your legs up to a horizontal position to abut your shoulders (see figure 8-69).
I I C.IIKl 11-f>'l ++++
This is
urdhwa lwklwtasana.
Stay in this position for three long inhalations and exhalations. Inhale, and return to asana sthiti.
From the kapalasana position, bend your knees and lower your legs, while
rounding your back and exhaling. Lower your leg as in akunanasana; exhaling, this time move your legs to the right side and place your left knee abutting your right shoulder. Now inhaling, while anchoring your left knee on your right shoulder, stretch your legs to the right side as you raise your head and upper body, balancing on your hands. This is
Ashtavaluasarw,
which was named after the sage Asht
avakra (see figure 8-70).
f t G U R [ ll-i(J ++++
Stay in this position for three breaths.
Exhaling, bend your knees and lower your head. On the next inhalation, raise your legs back to kapalasana.
Following the same procedure do this variation on the left side
(see figure
8-71).l t(.U�I 8-�1 ++++
T H I· I N \' E R T 1-f ) I' U " T L1 R E S F