SHIRSHASANA From the book Yoga Mala by Sri K Pattabhi Jois

While coming from the 6th to the 7th vinyasa of the first Surya Namaskara and doing puraka, sit on theknees, lock the fingers together and place the elbows on the floor; this is the 7th vinyasa. Then, doingrechaka and then puraka, place the crown of the head on the floor, interlocked hands cupping the back ofthe head and, doing rechaka and puraka again, straighten the legs and, keeping them together andstraight, lift them up with the power of the arms, tighten the body, point the toes, and keep the bodyerect using the strength of the arms; this is the 8th vinyasa, during which rechaka and puraka should bedone slowly and as many times as possible. Then, doing rechaka slowly, bring the feet back down ontothe floor, rest with the buttocks on the heels and the head on the floor for two minutes. Next, doingpuraka and then rechaka, jump back into the 4th vinyasa of the first Surya Namaskara; this is the 9thvinyasa. The next vinyasas are as those described above.Aspirants should note that merely putting the head down and legs up, and then standing upside downis not Shirshasana; very simply, this is wrong. Indeed, no one should be deluded into thinking thatShirshasana is an easy asana. The proper method for it must be carefully learned. For example, the entirebody must stand upside down on the strength of the arms alone. If the full bodily burden is carried by

Toni Romero Headstand

thehead, the circulation of the blood from the heart, which is flowing properly to the limbs, will be preventedfrom making its way to the subtle nadis in the crown of the head, which is pressed to the floor. Then,following the descent from the state of the asana, there is the possibility that the subtle nadis in the braincould become spoiled by the inrush of blood when the head is lifted. This could impede bodily andintellectual growth, and lead to delusions, mental abnormalities, illness, or a shortened life. Aspirantsshould therefore practice this asana knowledgeably and with great care. Some people, ignorant of theproper method, practice Shirshasana after seeing it in a book or photograph, and so subject themselvesto numerous problems, and even inspire fear in others who practice the asana correctly, as I havewitnessed from my own experience. I have also come across situations in which many ailments resultingfrom the improper practice of this asana have been cured by an aspirant’s learning the method properly.Thus, let me repeat again that aspirants should take great care with Shirshasana.Some say that practitioners should stay in this asana for only two to five minutes; otherwise, harmcould come to them. It must be stressed, however, that this is not correct, as the following scripturalsaying attests: “Yama matram vashe nityam [We can dwell in (Shirshasana) for three hours].” This is aview supported by experienced and learned people well-versed in the scriptures. It is also the right one.One yama equals three hours. To be able to stay in Shirshasana for three hours, an aspirant should beginby practicing it first for five, then ten, and then fifteen minutes, that is, he should gradually increase thetime in the state of Shirshasana by increments of five minutes. In this way and by force of slowlypracticing over many days, months, and years, an aspirant should be able to stay in the asana for a fullthree hours. Practiced in this way, Shirshasana will nourish the body, sense organs, mind, and intellect,and thereby promote their evolution. However, if an aspirant stays in the state of Shirshasana for one tofive minutes, or even less than a minute, he will not get the specified benefits.In Shirshasana’s state, both the lower abdomen and the anus should be taken in fully and held tightly—in other words, mula bandha should be done. In addition, the entire body should be kept erect andrechaka and puraka performed deeply, without kumbhaka.BENEFITSThrough the practice of Shirshasana, the subtle nadis of the head—that is, those related to the brain andsense organs, such as the eyes—are purified by an inflow of warm blood, and the power of memory isincreased. Eye disease is destroyed, the eyes glow, and long-sightedness improves. The five senseorgans, too, become purified. Moreover—and by means of this asana only—the bindu that results fromthe transformation of food into blood and is preserved through pure food and fresh air (both of which areneeded for the body’s survival) is able to reach the sahasrara chakra (the seventh and highest chakra,where spiritual illumination occurs). Knowledgeable people regard the attenuation of amrita bindu asdeath and its preservation as life. It is better, therefore, to preserve it. As long as there is pure bindu inour bodies, fresh youthfulness will be manifest in us. As experience demonstrates again and again,practicing without fail for a long time not only endows the body with power and brightness, but increasesintellectual power. This is affirmed by the yoga shastra: “Maranam bindu patena / Jivanam bindudharanat / Tasmat sarvaprayatnena / Bindu dharanam abhyaset [Loss of bindu is death / and thepreservation of it, life / So, by all means / is the holding of bindu to be preserved].”To repeat, with bindu’s loss comes death; with its retention, life. Thus men should practice to preserveit with all their might. And preserving bindu is what Shirshasana does. Yet no amount of writing canconvey the utility of this asana. An aspirant can only enjoy its happiness through its practice. It isimpossible to try to describe the sweetness of sugar. Only by tasting sugar can the experience of itssweetness be had, even for Brahma [God]. Just as people feel the sweetness of sugar by eating it, so toowill they experience the happiness of this asana by practicing it.As I mentioned earlier, there are differences of opinion about the practice of Shirshasana and otheryogasanas. According to some, delusions and other afflictions result from the over-practice ofShirshasana, and it may also weaken the heart. Indeed, it is claimed that it is harmful to practice for anyamount of time. This, at least, is the theory propounded in books written by publicity-hungry people whomay or may not practice yoga, or who call themselves yogis out of some attachment to the yogic science.And, to some extent, their words are true, at least for those who think they are practicing Shirshasanawhen they put their heads down on the floor and their legs up in the air whenever the fancy strikes them.Not surprisingly, such theories create great fear in people who have the zeal, godly devotion, and desireto practice yoga, and those that advance them gain names for themselves and great fame. After all,when someone achieves something others have not, can fame not come as a result? But there are nogrounds for such wrongheaded notions whatsoever. Indeed, if there were any danger in yoga, peoplelong ago would have lost interest in the science, become indifferent to its practice, and declared itssayings, the sayings of the greatest of the great yogis, such as Patanjali, to be a bundle of myths.