Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga

I 84 Light on Yoga

at all) and with a backward action of the hips. At first, it is not pos­
sible to go up and come down without bending the legs, but the
correct method should be learnt. Once the beginner has confidence in
the head stand, he will find it more beneficial to go up and down with
the legs together and straight, without any jerks.

I 3· It takes time for the beginner to become oriented to his surround­
ings while he is balancing on his head. Everything will seem at first
to be completely unfamiliar. The directions and instructions will
appear confusing and he will find it an effort to think clearly or to act
logically. This is due to fear of a fall. The best way to overcome fear
is to face with equanimity the situation of which one is afraid. Then
one gets the correct perspective, and one is not frightened any more.
To topple over while learning the head stand is not as terrible as we
imagine. If one overbalances, one should remember to loosen the inter­
locked fingers, relax, go limp and flex the knees. Then one will just
roll over and smile. If the fingers are not loosened they will take the
jerk of the fall which will be painful. If we do not relax and go limp
while falling we hit the floor with a hard bump. If we flex the knees,
we are unlikely to graze them in the fall. After one has learnt to
balance against a wall or in a corner, one should try the head stand
in the middle of the room. There will be a few spills and one must
learn the art of falling as indicated above. Learning to do S'ir�asana
in the middle of a room gives the beginner great confidence.

Technique for those who can balance Eight*

1. Follow the technique described for beginners from positions I to 4·


2. After securing the head position, stretch the legs straight by raising
   the knees from the floor. Move the toes nearer to the head and try to
   press the heels to the floor, keeping the back erect. (Plate I 86)

3· Stretch the dorsal or middle region of the spine and stay in this

position for about 30 seconds while breathing evenly.

4· Exhale, raise the heels and take the toes off the floor with a back­

ward movement of the hips. Raise both legs simultaneously, keeping

them poker stiff. (Plate I 87.) Take a breath.

5. Again with an exhalation move the legs up until they are parallel
   to the floor. This position is called:

75· Urdhva Dandasana Eight* (Plate I88)

(U rdhva =up, dai_l�a = a staff)

Stay in this position for 10 seconds with normal breathing.