Headstand

Home | Contact | Links | Yoga Classes | Announcement

Headstand / Sirshasana

by Sri Swami Sivananda
of The Divine Life Society

Headstand clears spermatorrhoea. It invigorates, energizes, and vivifies. Memory power increases. In this posture alone the brain can draw an abundance of blood from the heart. This is a panacea, a cure-all, a sovereign specific for all diseases. It brightens the psychic faculties, removes all sorts of diseases of the intestines and stomach, and augments mental power. This is a powerful blood purifier and a nervine tonic. All diseases of the eye, nose, head, throat, stomach, genitourinary system, liver, spleen and lungs are cured. Diseases such as renal colic, deafness, gonorrhoea, diabetes, piles, asthma consumption, syphilis, etc., are also cured. It augments the digestive fire. Many uterine and ovarian diseases are cured. Sterility disappears.

Stand for 5 seconds in the beginning, and gradually increase the period by 15 seconds each week to 20 minutes or half an hour. Strong people can remain in this asana for half an hour within a period of 2 or 3 months' practice. Do it slowly. Do not be anxious. Be calm. Be cool. Perform this asana very, very slowly, and avoid jerks. While standing on the head, breathe slowly through the nose and never through the mouth. Those who do this asana for a long time, say, 20 minutes or half an hour, should take some kind of light refreshment, milk or anything, when this asana is over. This is very important. In summer, do not practise this asana for a long time. In winter, you can practise as long as you desire.

There are people who are doing this asana for 2 or 3 hours at one stretch. Sri Prakash Jung, Private Secretary to the late Maharajah of Tehri State, Himalayas, had swelling of feet and disease of heart. The muscles of the heart were not able to contract and dilate properly in its function of pumping. That was the diagnosis of the doctors. He practised Headstand regularly for a few days. All swelling disappeared. The heart functioned properly. There was no pain at all. He used to do this asana for half an hour daily.