Dear Yoga Instructor,
Why should I practice handstand or headstand?
Thank you for this very important information.
Sincerely,
Your trusting student
I will tell you that if the asnwer does not resemble something that includes this, or very similar information, you should not let this teacher guide you through the pose.
Dear Student,
The primary intention of this pose is "tonifying the vital organs, stimulating the endocrine glands, and promoting the balanced and efficient functioning of our entire physiology, known as active reversal."
(This is information that Gary Kraftsow wrote in his book Yoga for Wellness, very trustworthy and practical information).
However student if you have any of the following you will want very clear and concise guidance if you still choose to attempt such a pose.
Contraindications:
Severe structural assymmetries or scoliosis
Weakness, strain, stiff neck, shoulders, upper back
Chronic forward thrust of the neck
Flattened cervical spine
Long neck, or weak upper back
Small upper torso and large lower torso
Severe lumbar lordosis
Any disc problems
High blood pressure
Glaucoma
Obesity
Head cold or sinus blockage
Menstruation or pregnancy.
(Also from Yoga For Wellness).
Let us try to forget the timless banter of yoga instructors that say "Let's do some headstands to change our perspective on the world." Not that a little perspective change is not beneficial but who wants their perspective changed by compromising the cervical spine with 100lbs or more worth of pressure on it? Not me... that shit equals a torn rotator or a slipped disc.... not awesome. Buth then again on the flip side you can blame yoga and miss out on all the benefits a practical steady practice can give you.
I recently came across an article about a fellow yoga teacher, I do not know who it is because she remained nameless in the article, but I have my guesses. This yoga teacher is well known for her instagram fame, her handstands and ability to get upside down. She is of course stunning and inspiring. She does endless workshops and classes revolving around these poses, and from what the article said her queing is shit and her alignment lacking. I am using my own words there too for the record.
The writer of this article was amazing in her delivery, expressing her frustration towards the teacher but ending with the reality that we are all on our own path and that our time deserves to be honored. And I agree.. to an extent. We are on our own path, we will forever learn, explore, and discover new options and varieties of things. But as a teacher the lives of many are in your hands and if your queing and understanding of the pose lacks, your delivery will lack as well. These precious lives will be compromised because you love to ego banter and kick your legs in the air. And though your words are inspiring.... they will not stop the physical damage that can happen with carelessness.
Your yoga instructor should not be necessarily teaching you how to spread your wings like a butterfly sucking the sweet nectar of the tree but rather how to raise your arms to stabilize the shoulders and prepare for weight bearing poses. It is our responisbility to do this. Unfortunately we pretty much have yoga mills producing teachers like rabbits produce bunnies. All for the mighty dollar. So, most likely your teacher is not well versed or understanding of the human body... not all of course, I am generalizing because I have attended an excess of classes in which there was little direction but plenty of "look what I can do".
You do not deserve this. And the teacher does deserve to be challenged and earn your trust. This gives you the chance to discover the deep benefits of a deliberate and correct(for you) yoga practice. If you think yoga is awesome now, and you are just attending classes that aerobically run you through 500 sun salutations until you lie in svasana in tears because you feel so much release please just imagine how amazing it would be to run through those sun salutations with the understanding of your needs and your responsibilty to honor those needs
Okay, that doesn't sound as awesome as those tears of great release many of us feel at the end of a class. But I can promise you, it is blissful. It is fulfilling to lie down and know that you did exactly what you needed, not what someone else neede you to do so that they could feel accomplished. But YOU, YOU listened to YOU and YOU honored YOU and then you can get up and go out into the world and do it again. And the tears they may stop because eventually you will feel like you honor yourself so much that there is very little tension in your body. I could go on forever about this, but I won't because eventually you would want to tell me to shut the hell up.
All in all, do what you love and what feels good to you. Please know that the trick in yoga, and in life, is to live presently with an awareness and understanding of how this presence will effect our future.
Love!
