7 Reasons You Should To A Headstand Yoga Pose Every Day

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When we consider how healthy we are, gravity usually isn’t a factor that comes to mind. An article by Yoga Journal notes how on earth, “gravity slowly but surely weighs us down and saps our strength.” As we get older our bodies will see the wear and tear of gravity since, after all, we consist of more than 60 percent water. One way to fight gravity is to do inversions like a shoulder stand (Sarvangasana), headstand (Sirasana) and forearm balance exercises to strengthen our arms, legs and core muscles. You can also do easier poses like downward-facing dog and supported shoulder stands to get similar health benefits.

Headstands can be a little intimidating so if you’re a beginner yogi, when it comes to inversions, you might want to start out with something a little more simple. At the moment there have only been roughly two kinds of clinical trials that measure the health benefits of defying gravity with inversions. So for now, we have to rely on expert opinions and case studies. Turning yourself upside down lets the blood flow to places it might not reach otherwise and this practice is said to have a positive influence on four major systems in our body: cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine and our nervous system. Below are seven awesome reasons you should do a headstand daily.

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1. You’ll strengthen your arm and shoulder muscles. In order to do a headstand, you need to have a certain amount of shoulder, arm and upper back strength. When you first start doing the pose, you can expect your body to shake almost immediately after kicking up. You can build up the strength for this pose by practicing a handstand against a wall and doing a few sets of 5 – 10 second holds.

2. Improve your blood flow and circulation. Being upside down will cause the blood to rush to your brain, which will simultaneously increase your brainpower. The blood will also flow to your scalp, which can slow down the growth of gray hairs. Improved circulation is also better for your skin and it can lead to fewer acne problems and wrinkles.

3. It’ll improve your balance.  We can’t all have the balance of a gymnast. Doing headstands will help improve your balance by forcing you to take full control over your body and muscles to avoid an injury or tumbling over. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to hold yourself up.

4. You’ll have better digestion. A headstand will reverse the gravity of your digestive track and send blood to your primary organs. This, in turn, can help to clean out any unnecessary material or gasses in those organs and it’ll also aid in cleaning out your intestines and colon.

5. Relieve stress. Headstands can help to detoxify and flush your adrenal glands (these are responsible for the production of those hormones that lead to stress) which will make you happier and create more positive thoughts. Whenever you’re feeling stressed or depressed, kick up into a headstand and you should feel better.

6. Improve your posture. Holding this pose will force you to pay very specific attention to all of your muscles. Through practice, you’ll notice parts of your body that you need to concentrate on in order to have the perfect posture. As you strengthen your core muscles, better posture will come in time.

7. Build core strength. You could spend hours doing abdominal work or you could just do a bunch of headstands. When you’re trying to get your body straight for the pose, you need to engage your abs and obliques. When you lift or lower your legs at one time (coming in and out of the pose) you’ll be strengthening those core muscles. Weak core muscles will make the headstand a little more difficult at first, but keep at it.

If these health benefits aren’t enough to convince you, headstands are the ultimate party trick. We’ve tried it.