Since I’ve been dealing with my foot injury, I’ve become quite fond of taking Yoga classes at a studio. It’s been one of the best things to come out of this pesky injury.

Since I spend the majority of my week teaching others about exercise and designing programs for them, it’s nice to go to a class and have someone else lead me through a workout.  It feels like such a treat!  Plus, after years of wondering how to do a headstand, I have finally mastered it:

In college, my boss at the recreation center where I worked tried to teach me how to do a headstand. But I couldn’t quite grasp it! I literally thought you just balanced on your head (which would make sense from the name). It didn’t even cross my mind that other muscles play an important roll in this pose.

Since college, I had been scared to attempt the pose for fear that I would fall or collapse my head and neck while my feet were in the air. However, since taking numerous classes at a Yoga studio (and practicing at home in my living room!), I finally understood how to do it. You really don’t put all of your weight on your head – imagine that! Plus, it’s not as scary as it looks and it’s actually a fun and invigorating pose to do.

How to do a Supported Headstand

Here are some great cues that I have picked up during class that have helped me understand what my body is supposed to be doing and feeling to get into a headstand.

*Note: If you are completely new to Yoga or are unfamiliar with inversions, I would not attempt this pose without the help of a professional. I would recommend taking Yoga classes at a studio to build your base before adding any inversions.

To get into headstand:

• From a kneeling position, lace your fingers together and place your forearms on the floor in front of you (I like my arms closer to my head and neck, but I’ve seen the elbows shoulder width. I would suggest playing around with placement of the arms, but I wouldn’t go wider than shoulder width as you need a good base of support).
• Place your head against your laced hands – it makes a nice “cradle” to support your head and neck.
• Lift “up” out of your shoulders – this provides the shoulder stability that is required for balance.
• Curl your toes under and lift your hips up, coming into dolphin pose (downward dog on your forearms).
• Walk your feet as close as you can to your arms. This brings your hips up and makes coming into the headstand easier.
• Engage your abdominal muscles as you lift one leg at a time up to the ceiling (I’ve seen people do both legs, and that’s fine too. It requires a lot more core strength. I find one leg at a time is a nice place to start though).
• Don’t jump into a headstand or kick hard to get up.  It should be slow and steady.
• Remember to breath. Hold the pose anywhere from just a few seconds, or breaths, to a few minutes (depending on experience).
• To come down – slowly lower one leg at a time and take a Child’s Pose stretch for a few breaths.

Please note:

*Almost no weight is on my head – it’s more in my shoulders and core.  Supported headstand is not so much about upper body strength, but rather balance and stability from the shoulders and core being engaged. I also find it helpful to keep my legs actively engaged throughout the pose.

*Be mindful of your head and neck placement.  You should be strong through the neck, not allowing it to collapse.

*Read more details about headstand, including the benefits, variations, contraindications, and more from Yoga Journal.

Have you ever mastered a Yoga pose or a form of exercise that you originally thought you couldn’t do? Headstand is definitely something I was afraid of until I tried it and got the hang of it. I love Yoga, I feel like it teaches me something new each time I go to class!

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Life Updates:

My injury is still present – though it’s manageable. I saw a podiatrist last week and she is recommending I get an MRI.  Based on my symptoms – lateral foot pain, especially with high impact movement – she thinks it may be tendinitis in the peroneal tendon.

The X-Ray was normal and did not show signs of fracture or anything like that.  I was feeling fine until I taught Turbo Kick last Friday and did more than I should have. My foot pain returned. Total bummer!

It’s been a hard journey trying to figure this out, but I’m still trucking along hoping to get definitive answers as to what is wrong. However, the good news is that the annoying plantar fasciitis symptoms I had are gone – I’m thinking I must have something else that maybe caused the plantar symptoms to arise.

Besides the nagging foot, I’ve been busy with Andy house hunting for our first home.  We put yet another offer on a house (this marks #4!) but there were two offers already on it, so I’m unsure if we’ll get this one.  Plus it’s a short sale, which makes it more complicated.  I’m not going to get my hopes up, but it certainly is a great house.  We gave our best offer and that’s all you can do in these instances!

House hunting has become like a part time job and I haven’t had too much free time, but I did manage to have a nice dinner out with some girlfriends on Friday which was fun:

We went to Wine Bar in Rocky River, OH, which is a favorite of ours. They have great food and a nice atmosphere and tons of wine options.  I went with a riesling, which was delicious – just the right amount of sweetness. We shared a vegan platter as an appetizer and I went with the scallops for my entree, which were good, but can never compete with seafood from Emerald Isle, NC! I still ate them all, nonetheless.

I’m off to have some left over buffalo chicken dip that I made yesterday (following this recipe but used ranch) for Andy and I during the super bowl.  Yum!

Have a great week everyone!