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  Himalayan Institute

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Asana Tip

Headstand  (Shirshasana)

I have a bad neck. Should I avoid headstands?

TRY THIS

Shirshasana can exacerbate neck woes, but it can also strengthen the neck by developing muscle tone. Many people rely on the support of a wall when they begin practicing headstand, but this can cause the neck to bear too much weight and the shoulders to collapse. Instead, start in a downward-dog-like position with the head, arms, and hands in tripod. Press the palm edges into the floor to engage the shoulders. Press the forearms inwards and then outwards, and see how this engages the shoulder and trapezius muscles. Lengthen your neck and draw your shoulder blades toward one another, into the spine and toward the hips, and walk in your feet until either your spine comes to ninety degrees or you can no longer sustain the muscle action of the arms and shoulders. Work here until you feel comfortable and strong and can gradually transfer enough weight to the arms to bend your knees to your chest, lift your feet, and come to balance without the aid of the wall.

About the Publisher

  Yoga + Joyful Living is published by The Himalayan Institute, a non-profit, international organization founded in 1971 by Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual and humanitarian programs, the Himalayan Institute headquarters is located on a verdant 400-acre campus in the rolling hills of the Pocono Mountains of northeast Pennsylvania. The vibrant, healthy atmosphere of this premier center for yoga and holistic living attracts students and seekers from all walks of life.

Learn More Here

Yoga+ Extras

• The Yoga+ Playlist 
• Yoga+ Playlist: Bonus Tracks 
• Stress Buster Extras 
• Yoga Sutra 2.7 and 2.8 
• Can Chant Top the Charts? 
• Champion of an African Forest Sanctuary 
• Awakening to the Gayatri Mantra 
• Salutations to the Inner Sun 
• The Forgotten Teachings: Patanjali’s 10 Steps to a Happier Life 
• How to Breathe Better While You Meditate 
• Keeping the Zzzz’s Out of Meditation 
• Relief for Tight Hamstrings 
• Yoga Therapy for Your Knees 

 

Current Issue
September/October 2008

Features

Layers of Being: Discovering Your Inner Self 
We are multidimensional creatures—our awareness manifests on many planes. Yoga teaches us how to live joyfully at every level of our being and experience the world—and ourselves—as manifestations of the Divine.

Google’s Guru of Giving: Larry Brilliant, MD 
Though still a son of the ’60s, in true American fashion Dr. Brilliant sees the practical as well as the spiritual.

Yoga Rock Stars 
Devotional chanting, a centuries-old practice in India, is newly in vogue in the West. Read about the top five kirtan stars—who they are, why they’re hot—plus up-and-comers, must-see concerts, and the Yoga+ playlist.

Create Love: A Day with the Dalai Lama
Spiritual teachers like the Dalai Lama and Brother David Steindl-Rast show us how to transform ordinary kindness into extraordinary love.

 

Departments

Living Joyfully
A green tea smoothie, free music downloads, and help for your headstand

Everyday Ayurveda
Stress Busters!

Conversation
Mary Ellen Iskenderian: Fighting Poverty One Loan at a Time

Esoteric Asana
Chakrasana: Spiritual Dimensions of the Wheel Pose

Points of Practice
Meditation Blocked? Ten Tips for the Wandering Mind

Essence of Asana
Body of Light

Garden to Table
Tasty Autumn Roots

Awakening Spirit
My Personal Soft Landing

Yoga Sutra 2.7 and 2.8
Beyond Pleasure and Pain

Journeys
Six Exotic Yoga Escapes

Asana Solutions
Recruit the Glutes: New Help for Joint Pain

In Practice
The Joy of Mindful Eating

Arts and Media
Yoga in Action

Last Look
Song of Life