Head stand (elbow stand?)

benicebehappy started this discussion · 9/10/2009

Hey ladies. I know this is supposed to be a really easy beginner move so on the spur of the moment going passed my pole I thought id try it for the first time. BIG mistake. I havent tried standing on my head in probably 15 years if not more so why I thought id be able to do it straight off ill never know. I put a cushain under my head as my floor is tiled and I barely got my one leg off the ground before my backside was hitting the pole before anything else. (Another reason why a big bum sucks). I tried a few more times before deciding im gonna need my other halfs help to push me where i need to be untill I get used to the feeling of where the pole is going to be. My problem now is my neck is killing my down the left side. Slight niggling if i look straight on and full on pinch if i turn mt head to the left. Fine if I turn to the right. Great. But my question is is there a way of making this more comfortable to do and better ways of practicing it before i get any more stupid ideas of trying it against a pole again? On the plus side at least i didnt start out with trying a handstand!

7 replies

polebunny · 9/10/2009
well first off you can do some neck stretches.... to the left, right, and forward but dont tilt your head back, that's not good for your neck... what i did before i got my pole was practice my headstands at the end of the couch... so when my legs flipped up they were hitting the end of the couch.... to do this on the pole, grab the pole at the bottom with both hands and position your forearms/elbows then your head, then flip up. i hope this helps, i know its hard to describe moves for me lol 😳 😳
yogabeachbabe · 9/10/2009
Any sort of headstand or elbow stand DOES NOT PUT ANY HARD PRESSURE ON YOUR HEAD!!!!! In yoga, it is acceptable to put only about 10% (or less, if you've got the strength) of your weight on your head. The majority of the strength is in the contact points on the floor (either your forearms, or your hands). If you put too much weight on your head, it's your neck that will get injured because it's not supposed to bear that much weight. Engaging your back muscles and keeping your shoulders down and back (thanks, Veena!) is probably the biggest part of this pose. The rest is in abdominal strength. So for the elbow/forearm stand, put your arms down on the floor (IMPORTANT: your elbows should be no farther away than a forearm's length or it might agitate your shoulder) and then gently set your head down. You should be able to easily push your head up from the floor. Then walk your feet in as close to your face as you can (bend your knees slightly if your hamstrings are tight)--then your back should be pressing against the pole (or wall if you're practicing there). From there, your dominant leg will reach up to find the pole or wall and if you need it, the sub leg can gently push up to meet it. The best way is to utilise your abdominals and come up with both legs straight. Until you're comfortable with this move, it would be best to have a spotter just in case. Now that I know how to make videos, I can make you a short tutorial if it's ok with Veena. As a former yoga instructor, I find that most people don't know how to properly teach headstands and this move is all about safety and alignment.
benicebehappy · 9/10/2009
Thanks for the replies 🙂 Def wont be doing any for a while as my neck is really hurting and has gotten worse since earlier. I cant touch my head to my shoulders without pain on both sides and the pain down the left side has gotten worse. The pain has also spread to between my shoulder blades and the base of my skull. 😳 Me and my stupid ideas. Have taken some paracetamol and am waiting for that to kick in as there isnt really a comfortable position for my head at the moment apart from looking at the floor, which isnt ideal 😨
Meleania · 9/11/2009
Man that sucks, well once your better, what I do for an elbow stand is I come down into it from an inverted crucifix, because im not strong enough (and havnt tried for fear of missing the pole) to come up from the ground. I actually wasnt even strong enough to do an elbow/forearm stand at first but I just gradually added more weight by letting my legs go from an invert and now I can let go with my legs completely! So thats my way of doing it..yep, now im trying for a handstand and nope not strong enough!
ottersocks · 9/11/2009
Just wanted to echo yoga's excellent comments. In fact, not only do we teach that your head shouldn't be touching the ground--pushing up out of your shoulders--it can even be taught/done with placing your head onto your forearms, if your hands are clasped at the pole and your elbows apart. This move depends a good bit on anatomy and length of your upper arms, and you may have to play around a bit, but by all means, keep your weight off your head. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Tine007 · 9/11/2009
I hope you recover soon!!! Please be careful!! I totally agree with yoga and ottersocks 👍 but have another 2 cents to add: I prefer practicing against a wall rather than the pole because the pole is easy to miss with your foot or slip off with your back and then you can strain god-knows-what... Also, I don't like the cushion because it is wobbly and can slip. A yoga mat gives you enough cushioning, is flat and sticky, aka non-slip and not only 15-20 bucks 👍 Not sure if I missed it - after measuring the distance between your elbows, as Yoga described, clasp your hands and open the palms so that only your fingers are interlaced. Then place the back of your head against your palms so you are cupping it with your hands (makes any sense?!??). This way you are able to take some pressure off the head. Although kicking up gets you the momentum to get up at all in the beginning, my yoga instructor suggested to try tucking both knees to your chest after walking the feet in and then slowly lift your feet up. You can start hovering just a little over the floor, and when you get stronger, lift and straighten the legs. This way it is a little harder because you use your abs instead of momentum, but you gain the control you need to get and stay up, rather than just smashing into the wall. It really helped me to get my headstand. Tine
p1nkpr1ncess · 9/21/2009
I'm glad that I came across this thread as I've been looking for exercises to help build my ab strength and remember doing headstands when I was younger - controlling them on the way up with bent legs etc. I am going to start trying them against the wall - as I do with my handstands. Thanks for all the great advice! 🙂 -x-