Salamba Sirsasana / Supported headstand
The ancient practice of yoga has deep roots in the surfing community. Both physical and spiritual, surf and yoga work together to help a surfer achieve a clearer mind and stronger body. But what does this deep, inward activity have to do with the outdoors? What could it offer an extreme surfer? A lot, it seems.
Surfers need deep focus and optimum fitness to attain their in-water goals. Big wave surfers offer a good example of this, requiring great mental skills to overcome fear along with very quick physical responses. A yoga routine can provide these things, with emphasis on focus, confidence, balance, energy, endurance, vitality, flexibility, longevity and, ultimately, performance.
Yoga also helps to strengthen key physical points to the surfing practice such as arms, legs, back, and wrists; minimizing the risk of injuries and improving recovery time after a surf session.
So that’s why I’m giving you this routine to build a strong core, shoulders, back and improve balance.
Salamba Sirsasana / Supported Headstand
The “Supported Headstand”, in which one stands upside down with the body straight, supported on the head and forearms, is a crucial yoga pose with endless benefits. It improves respiration, balance and circulation, stimulates pituitary and pineal glands, calms the brain and strengthens the body.
Instructions:
Use a folded blanket or sticky mat to pad your head and forearms. Kneel on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set the forearms on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Roll the upper arms slightly outward, but press the inner wrists firmly into the floor. Set the crown of your head on the floor. If you are just beginning to practice this pose, press the bases of your palms together and snuggle the back of your head against the clasped hands.
Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet closer to your elbows, heels elevated. Actively lift through the top of the thighs, forming an inverted “V.” Firm the shoulder blades against your back and lift them toward the tailbone so the front torso stays as long as possible. This should help prevent the weight of the shoulders collapsing onto your neck and head.
Exhale and lift your feet away from the floor. Take both feet up at the same time, even if it means bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor. As the legs (or thighs, if your knees are bent) rise to perpendicular to the floor, firm the tailbone against the back of the pelvis. Turn the upper thighs in slightly, and actively press the heels toward the ceiling (straightening the knees if you bent them to come up). The center of the arches should align over the center of the pelvis, which in turn should align over the crown of the head.
As a beginning practitioner, start by holding this pose for 10 seconds. Gradually add up to 10 more seconds each day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for three minutes. Then, continue for three minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Continue the same progression until you can comfortably hold this pose for five minutes. Come down with an exhalation, maintaining the lift of the shoulder blades, with both feet touching the floor at the same time.
