Salamba Sirsasana

Notes

For some, the ideal placement of the weight on the skull is on the bregma—the juncture between the coronal and sagittal sutures, where the frontal bone meets the two parietal bones. This leads to a slightly more arched final position. Placing the weight more toward the crown of the head leads to a more neutral spine and more balanced action between the front and back of the body.

Many people have asymmetries and slight rotations in their spines, which become more apparent in this pose. Note the rotational shifts, and other asymmetries in the illustration of the author in salamba sirsasana. It can be a challenge to find full hip extension in this pose. If the abdominal muscles are not strong enough, the hips can flex to keep the work of the pose in the back muscles instead of in the front.

Note: Contrary to popular notions of increased blood or oxygen flow to the brain in inversions, it should be noted that the body has very robust mechanisms that control the amount of blood delivered to any given region, irrespective of the orientation to gravity. Regional changes in blood pressure have been observed based on inversion or compression of major blood vessels by body position, but this is a distinct issue from movement of blood volume and thus oxygen delivery.

That said, inversions do offer a very beneficial opportunity for increased venous return from the lower body, as well as improved lymph drainage—not to mention the benefits derived from inverting the action of the diaphragm.

Acunchanasana

Even if you favor the bregma version of this pose and enter into the pose with straight legs with the intention to end up in a more arched position, the strength and coordination required to maintain salamba sirsasana safely demands certain skills that can be best developed by practicing the bent-leg entry into the pose. The key test is whether you can raise the weight off the feet without jumping and maintain the difficult pose known as acunchanasana (bent-legged headstand) for several breaths.

Images from the book Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews displayed on this website are used under license.