Rare is the yoga teacher who actually teaches Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana). It’s not a complicated posture, but it does run the risk of neck injury—which is probably why so many teachers shy away from it. Learn the correct way to teach Headstand in 10 steps, so that your students can benefit from this “king of all asanas.”
Headstand is best taught one-on-one. If you are teaching a group, ask them to observe quietly as you guide students into the inversion one by one. This might take a good chunk of time, but your students will be grateful for the opportunity to finally learn this undertaught pose.
Start out by giving your students a demo. Alternatively, have one of your students demo the pose for you if you are sure they are already Headstand-competent. This pose feels scary for first-timers, so the opportunity to observe exactly how it’s done will quell a lot of fears.
Now for your placement. Your body will serve as a human wall and ensure that your student doesn’t fall backward. The last thing you want is for them to topple over, which will ruin their confidence in the pose.
Stand with your right foot to the outside of their upper right arm, and your left foot at a diagonal in front of their hands. Your torso will be at a slight angle to their legs once they invert.
Why this stance? Placing your foot just outside of their upper arm ensures that the student won’t splay their elbows to the sides—a Headstand no-no. You are close enough that your student literally can’t fall over, and you are also at a perfect angle to help them lift their feet upward.
Before the next step, check that your student’s head is at a proper angle. The ears should be perpendicular to the ground. If they are at a diagonal, they need to adjust their head placement.
Watch out for flailing legs. Every now and then, you will get a student who haphazardly kicks up into Headstand. You need to be ready to catch them while making sure you don’t get kicked in the face! Reminders to make slow, focused movements will help.
If this is their first time, or one of their first times, practicing Headstand, they will probably be wobbly. Keep your right hand on the far side of their ankles, over the big toes, or even in between their feet as they squeeze your hands. You are not holding them up, but giving them just enough space to find their sense of balance without falling over.
Remember that your body is acting as an uber-solid wall here if your student topples toward you.
Use short, direct cues like:
Count backward from 10 aloud, so they know exactly how long they will be inverted—10 seconds is plenty for beginners. Then cue your student to slowly lower one leg at a time to the floor. Have them rest in Child’s pose (Balasana) for at least 30 seconds, so they don’t get dizzy from a head rush.
As for post-Headstand protocol, this posture should always be followed by Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana). Headstand is a heating pose, while Shoulderstand is a cooling pose. The two pair up like yin and yang for balance of mind and body.
If your student has any kind of neck complaint, either immediately after Headstand or the day after, their alignment was off. Headstand should never hurt. If they want to give it another shot, wait a few days until the pain is gone completely.
If you can teach Headstand properly, everybody wins. Your students will receive all of the brain-nourishing effects of the pose and build their yogic self-confidence while you quickly gain the trust needed between teacher and student. They know you will be there to catch them if they fall, literally.