How to Do a Headstand
Position your cushioned mat., Position your body like a table top., Lace your fingers and place your head., Lift your knees to balance on your feet., Bring your feet up the mat., Lift your legs., Come down from the headstand.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Position your cushioned mat.
You can use either a yoga mat or a gymnastics mat, but you want a mat that is going to provide some support to your head and neck and necessary cushion for comfort.
Lay your mat lengthwise in front of you.If you are a complete beginner to doing headstands, you can place your mat up against the base of a wall and practice your headstand with the support of the wall.Practicing your headstand against a wall will help you figure out the different areas in your body that you need to flex and balance to hold a headstand. -
Step 2: Position your body like a table top.
Kneel onto your mat.
Bring your hands down in front of you onto the mat, so you are resting on your knees and hands.
Your should now look like a table top.
You hands should be lined up with your shoulders, and your knees should be lined up with your hips.Bend and bring your elbows to rest down on the mat. , With your elbows on the mat distanced shoulder-width apart, clasp your hands together and lace your fingers together.Extend your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
Your hands and elbows should form a triangle shape that’s approximately 5 inches (12.7 cm) away from the base of the wall.Tuck your chin downward, and bring the crown of your head down to the mat.
Rest the back of your head in your palms, as your crown rests on the mat.
Change your head positioning as necessary until you find a comfortable position.
You should always aim to rest on your crown, with your hands supporting the back of your head so you don’t strain your neck. , Lift up your knees to straighten out your legs.
Your buttocks should be in the air, and your body should look like an upside down ‘V’. , You can use your core muscles to drag your feet up toward the rest of your body, or slowly walk up the mat.As you walk, your buttocks and hips will start to align with your back as you straighten out your core but stay bent at the hips.
This movement will lift your shoulders over your ears as your spine aligns straight.Keep your wrists, hands, forearms, and elbows strong and rooted into the mat.You might feel like you are going to fall over like you would in a somersault.
However, if you are practicing against a wall, the wall will support you and help you gain control so you can find balance. , Bring your knees close to your armpits.
You should be on your tippy toes at this point.Tighten your core and release your toes from the mat.
Bring your bent knees into your chest, and use your core muscles to slowly try and raise your knees and extend your legs straight up out of the tuck.
If you are practicing on a wall, you can flex your hips to bring your bent knees up, and place your feet on the wall., Hold the headstand for as long as you comfortably can.When you are ready to release the headstand, bend at your knees and bring both of your legs down, back to a tucked position in front of your chest.
From here, touch both of your toes back onto your mat, slide your feet back, and transition into a stretch also known as a “child’s pose.”Shift your buttocks over the heels of your feet, and extend your arms straight out in front of you while keeping your hands on the floor.Hold this stretch for at least a minute so your body can slowly adjust its blood flow.
Consider doing a few neck rolls in different directions to relieve any tension in your neck. -
Step 3: Lace your fingers and place your head.
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Step 4: Lift your knees to balance on your feet.
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Step 5: Bring your feet up the mat.
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Step 6: Lift your legs.
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Step 7: Come down from the headstand.
Detailed Guide
You can use either a yoga mat or a gymnastics mat, but you want a mat that is going to provide some support to your head and neck and necessary cushion for comfort.
Lay your mat lengthwise in front of you.If you are a complete beginner to doing headstands, you can place your mat up against the base of a wall and practice your headstand with the support of the wall.Practicing your headstand against a wall will help you figure out the different areas in your body that you need to flex and balance to hold a headstand.
Kneel onto your mat.
Bring your hands down in front of you onto the mat, so you are resting on your knees and hands.
Your should now look like a table top.
You hands should be lined up with your shoulders, and your knees should be lined up with your hips.Bend and bring your elbows to rest down on the mat. , With your elbows on the mat distanced shoulder-width apart, clasp your hands together and lace your fingers together.Extend your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
Your hands and elbows should form a triangle shape that’s approximately 5 inches (12.7 cm) away from the base of the wall.Tuck your chin downward, and bring the crown of your head down to the mat.
Rest the back of your head in your palms, as your crown rests on the mat.
Change your head positioning as necessary until you find a comfortable position.
You should always aim to rest on your crown, with your hands supporting the back of your head so you don’t strain your neck. , Lift up your knees to straighten out your legs.
Your buttocks should be in the air, and your body should look like an upside down ‘V’. , You can use your core muscles to drag your feet up toward the rest of your body, or slowly walk up the mat.As you walk, your buttocks and hips will start to align with your back as you straighten out your core but stay bent at the hips.
This movement will lift your shoulders over your ears as your spine aligns straight.Keep your wrists, hands, forearms, and elbows strong and rooted into the mat.You might feel like you are going to fall over like you would in a somersault.
However, if you are practicing against a wall, the wall will support you and help you gain control so you can find balance. , Bring your knees close to your armpits.
You should be on your tippy toes at this point.Tighten your core and release your toes from the mat.
Bring your bent knees into your chest, and use your core muscles to slowly try and raise your knees and extend your legs straight up out of the tuck.
If you are practicing on a wall, you can flex your hips to bring your bent knees up, and place your feet on the wall., Hold the headstand for as long as you comfortably can.When you are ready to release the headstand, bend at your knees and bring both of your legs down, back to a tucked position in front of your chest.
From here, touch both of your toes back onto your mat, slide your feet back, and transition into a stretch also known as a “child’s pose.”Shift your buttocks over the heels of your feet, and extend your arms straight out in front of you while keeping your hands on the floor.Hold this stretch for at least a minute so your body can slowly adjust its blood flow.
Consider doing a few neck rolls in different directions to relieve any tension in your neck.
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Pamela Bailey
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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