The Eka Pada Sirsasana
I would see the images of Eka Pada Sirsasana and believe that it was an unattainable pose that only contortionists and life long yogis could do. The thought of putting my foot behind my head was a pipe dream of my tight hips and hamstrings.
However, what I want to say to you is that my experience of entering into such a deep posture changed not only my body, but my whole attitude to my practice. It is a long process of patience, modesty, and amazing liberation. This is how I learned to unlock my hips and was able to finally get into the One-Legged Headstand Pose.
What is Eka Pada Sirsasana, Really?
And then, there is the question of the what before we get into the how. Eka Pada Sirsasana (most commonly known as ACHE-ah PUH-duh shear-SHAH-suh-nuh) is a very difficult intermediate to advanced sitting yoga pose. Its name comes from Sanskrit:
Eka = One
Pada = Foot or Leg
Sirsa = Head
Asana = Pose
Literally, though, One-Foot-Behind-the-Head Pose. In my case, it is never about the acrobatics. It is a deep and intense hip and groin opener that takes unexpected concentration and relinquishment.
The Reason I Did Not Give up: The Miraculous Payoffs.
Why should anybody put his head behind his foot? The positive experiences that I had made me repeat the practice despite the frustrating days.
Deep Hip Release
I have all my stress in my hips. Eka Pada Sirsasana brought a freedom that was never to be experienced in other less demanding poses. It goes to the deep external rotators and the groin producing a feeling of unbelievable space and freedom in the joints of my hips.
Better Flexibility and Range of Motion.
This pose does not only exercise hips. It requires an open hamstring, open glute, and lower back. Regular practicing towards it helped me a lot to become more flexible.
Mental Focus and Calm
One cannot impose himself into this posture. It takes your determination to be cool-headed and attentive to listen to your body and breathe the intensity out. In my case, it was an emotional meditation.
Spine and Posture Support
The sitting and the straight posture part of the pose promoted the long straight spine, which assisted me in improving my bent stance and enhanced my posture overall out of the mat.
My Step-by-Step Guide to the Pose.
Oh, do hear thy body. I have taken a lesson that everything is patience. Never force the posture.
Preparatory Poses, Necessary.
Lest I only leap into Eka Pada Sirsasana. These are the main poses that I always war up on:
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
This is my first choice of preparation to open the external hip rotators.
Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana)
One of the best postures to achieve the deep-hip stretch needed.
Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)
This stretches the thighs and hamstrings.
Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
This assists in easing the groin and you learn to pull the knee towards the shoulder.
Locating Position: My Process.
Start Seated: I sit in the Dandasana (Staff Pose) position, which consists of straightening my legs in front of me, drawing my back straight.
Bend and Hug: This is accomplished by flexing my right knee and giving it a tight squeeze in my chest, which warms up the hip joint.
The Figure-Four Set-Up: This was the revelation among me. My right ankle is just above my left knee forming a figure-four posture. This completely externally rotates the hip.
The Gentle Guidance: I have my right hand on my right knee and my left hand on my right foot and I bend my knee towards my right shoulder. I pay attention to ensuring that my spine is long.
The Final Frontier: When my shin is at right angles to my chest and the knee positioned at right angles to the shoulder, I start strolling my right foot slowly and in a controlled manner in the direction of the back of my neck. I tilted my head a little in front to permit the foot to go through. The trick is to direct instead of pull or push my arm strength.
Finding the Bind: This is done with my foot behind my head and then with the hands behind my shin. Unless I can bind, a strap–there is no disgrace in it!
Breathe and Hold: I maintain the position of 5-10 deep and soothing breaths, relating to the rest in the stretch. After that, I take time to reverse the procedure to free and repeat on the other hand.
A word of Warning: My Safety Advice.
This is an earnest stance that is to be respected. The following is what I find myself always remembering:
Listen to Your Body, Not Your Ego.
In case of sharp, shooting pains, usually in the knee or SI joint, stop immediately. Suffocation is good; suffering is not.
Do Not Use In case of some Injuries.
Do not use Eka Pada Sirsasana unless you are in a severe state of knee, hip or spinal problems, in particular, a neck injury.
Warm Up, Every Single Time
Cold muscle is an injury that is waiting to occur. I do not miss my warm up routine.
Short FAQs: Questions I Asked (And Still Ask).
H3: I can not have my foot anywhere near my head. What’s wrong with me?
A: Absolutely nothing! At the beginning, my hips were so tight. It does not matter what is wrong, but what is your individual skeletal structure and muscle tension. Dwelling on the preparation poses, and rejoice in little gains.
Q: Does that make Eka Pada Sirsasana bad on your knees?
A: It is possible when it is done wrong. It is the hip rotation that should be addressed, and not knee twisting. In case you experience some pain in your knee, push off more and concentrate on Pigeon Pose to open hips in a safe manner.
F: What is the frequency of practicing such a pose?
I do it 3-4 times a week and it is a part of a longer, more in-depth stretching practice. Regularity is much more valuable than marathon interests.
Question: Do I require a teacher to know this?
A: I would strongly suggest that you learn this pose under the guidance of professional yoga teacher who can offer personal corrections and make sure that you are not doing it in an unsafe way. It was all the difference with me.