Tags

, , , , , , ,

This week we had Shirshasana posture in the practice. I struggled for the first day as I could not assimilate enough strength to lift my body up. But on the next day my body finally understand what my teacher was saying and we made it. Yes I can officially perform Shirshasana now in the class 🙂 .

Well the funny part was, when i went up and stayed for a while in the pose, Abhay (my teacher) was like, now you have to come down, and for a split of second I realized I never thought about that. I was so busy in myself to go up that the thought of coming down never crossed my mind. Though I can come down myself as per his instructions, but the thought tickled my funny bone for a sec. 🙂

I am still a beginner with this asana, so I will just share my beginners experience with this pose that is seen around with so much fascination.

To begin with, Abhay (ohh he is an amazing teacher). I say that rarely for a person but he truly deserves every word of it. He knows what he is doing and he is really good at what he does. He is a jolly person but highly demanding from his students at the same. Most of times i wonder how he points out such minute mistakes by just glancing once. Woof!

That was a bit of diversion! So back!

So, Abhay never forgets to mention the difference between a headstand and Shirshasana. He makes it constantly clear that we are not performing headstand here. So let me tell you the difference. When you put your entire body weight on your head while performing the asana its a headstand, which most of Yoga wala’s do but dare you do it in Abhay’s class :). The Shirshasana entails distributing the weight on your elbows, and lifting your body up  on your shoulders, the head is not the one to bear all the weight.

So for the intial first day I struggled with the fact of putting my body weight on my elbows while i was trying to do half Shirshasana and lifting my shoulders. I would try but my body used to fail to understand what I want it to do. I was amazed at this thought that it can be so difficult for your own body to listen to your mind again and again. I literally got in a conversation with my body telling her how stupid you are and that i am surprised at your stupidity. After the class, on that day I asked myself some questions, what exactly is about putting weight on my elbow and lifting the shoulder. I tried to connect what was actually happening when i was trying to do the weight distribution. i literally asked my body tell me how are you going to do it and finally I could picture in my mind how exactly it should happen.

So, on the next day I applied what i had thought and to my surprise my body and mind actually corordinated and when my teacher affirmed that I get what it meant now, I was officially eligible to perform the Shirshasana, I do it against the wall and my teacher helps me to give a little balance when i lift my first leg up.

From last 2 classes I am able to do it finally. I like the after effect it gives, calms your head, makes all the thoughts disappear and you suddenly feel so much aware of things around you, like you never have heard them or seen them before so clearly. The calmness of the head which I need the most living in such modern derogatory environment, its indeed a nice discovery I am able to make for myself.

I am still in process to learn, but the journey is amazing, its not just standing there that mattered, but the way you overcome those obstacles that makes the view worth it and the experience beautiful, not to forget the after effect.

There were some revelations doing this learning exercise, this was my first time i am having open conversation with my body, and I see how we are disconnected from ourself so much that you body fails to cor ordinate. Now I imagine how difficult it is for people to understand what others may say. Its is very important to choose effective methods and ways to communicate whether its yourself or others, the same thing may not work for everybody. Like Yoga is the first thing that has worked for me. Interestingly, to watch your mind and body blend with each other actually smooths a conflict situation within yourself and i realized the importance of it, one can do amazing things if we resolve inner conflict and act in unison. Impossible is indeed nothing. I am very happy about this new development.

Though I don’t feel its the pose I love the most i mean shirshasna, i would say I surrender to myself in this pose and I respect it for that,To this let me note I have this peculiar feeling attached for each pose. I love other two poses more, I mean I love the warrior pose for the feeling of strength and kind of victorious feel it gives. Similarly I romantically love the chakrasana or the Urdvah Dhanurasana, I love lifting my body and opening my body in that pose, I feel like a romantic form of love for my body in that asana. I will write a separate post on what different asanas make me feel.

For now yes, I have to admit like Abhay said I am really on Cloud 9 after the first day with Shirshasana.

I love to thank all my friends for listening me babbling here again 🙂

Happy exploring!