If you plan to try a headstand* on your own at home, follow these instructions to help you do so safely:

STEP 1

Find a corner where you can practice. This provides two walls of support to help you balance once you are up.

STEP 2

Warm up your neck and shoulders before attempting the pose.

STEP 3

Get down on your hands and knees, with your head pointing toward the corner. Place your hands, with fingers interlaced and wrists rolled inward, eight to ten inches from the corner. Rest your forearms on the ground with elbows shoulder-width apart.

STEP 4

Place the top of your head on the ground, with the back of your head pressed up against your firmly-clasped hands.

STEP 5

Press your legs straight and begin walking your feet toward your hands.

STEP 6

Raise your legs up into the air until they are aligned directly above your head/torso. You can raise your legs either one at a time or both at once. You may need to rest your heels against the walls from time to time to maintain balance. If you find it too challenging to go directly up to a straight-leg position, you might try initially bending at the knee joint and placing your feet on the walls until you feel steady.

STEP 7

Breathe slowly and deeply while you are in the pose, focusing on keeping most of your weight in your forearms. Only stay up for five breaths or less on your first attempt.

STEP 8

To come down, slowly lower your feet back to the ground, returning to a hands and knees position with the crown of your head still touching the floor. Pause there briefly, then slowly lift your head and come to kneeling or sitting. Pause again for a breath or two before getting up. Taking your time to come out of the pose is important to allow your body to reacclimate slowly to being upright again.

*While headstand, when done correctly, has the potential to provide wide-ranging benefits, the pose is not suitable to everyone and it also has the potential to cause injuries! People with back or neck injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, eye problems, or a heart condition should not attempt the posture. Also, people who experience migraines or balance issues might want to avoid headstand as it may aggravate those conditions. The pose should be avoided during pregnancy, unless the woman already has a well-established headstand practice (in other words, pregnancy is not the time to begin doing headstand).