Kicking

This is my rant and I'm sticking to it. So if you don't want to hear this yogini go off, you'd best sign off for now and catch the next one.

No kicking up in headstand! Ever!
If you have to kick up, then you are not ready to do this pose. Period.

First - it is the "King of Asanas." So when in the history of mankind can anyone waltz into town and say "yo, i'm here to see the King" and get an audience? Same with headstand. It has to be earned. And when I say earned, i mean it's all about preparation. Preparing the structural body so the cervical spine is properly supported. Preparing the nervous system so the mind will remain quiet, because most of the time we fall out of a balance, including headstand, it's because the mind distracted you in some way.

The "mind" of headstand is about stillness - sthira, not about kicking up. Kicking up is energetic and is about whoops and yays and high fives (so to speak). It's more about being "out there." Headstand is about going "in there," aligning body and mind into a state of quiet balance. Both great btw - just different.

Plus, let's just look at the structural element. Kicking up implies that you don't have the goods to get there on your own. You need the added element of momentum. And unless you have enough control over your momentum that you know exactly how much of it to use, imho using the head/neck as the base of support while experimenting with this force of momentum seems sorta dumb.

So what's the rush? Students want to get there faster. Often without doing the preparation. As teachers it is our job to inspire the students to enjoy the process, so when they do eventually get into headstand, using the quietness of their own mind (strong nervous system) and the stability of their own body, it will be a glorious event. Worth waiting for. Well "earned."

Would you turn your socially mature daughter or son loose on the road at age 14 without having taken driving lessons? And would you let them drive in the city or on the freeway with one lesson under their belt? Or two? Or three even?  If we can't figure out how to rock a students world, at the same time, deal with their need to get further faster, which is often ego-based at the root of this desire, then maybe we need to look at our own egos. The part of us that wants our students to get there faster. The part of our ego that is afraid that if we don't give them headstand, they'll find another teacher.

And from a students' point of view - hey - it's your neck! Do what you want! But be informed and not pressured, consciously or subconsciously. If you are encouraged just "kick up" into headstand, calmly let the teacher know that you don't think your neck is ready for it yet. And if the teacher insists that you "trust yourself and get over your fear," trust your Self and don't give your power over to that teacher. Again - it's your neck, not hers/his! And you have to live with it. It's not your job as the student to make your teacher feel successful.

So again, that's my rant. At some point kicking up into headstand was taught by someone, and possibly for a very good reason. But since that original time, it has become too rampant and I for one, am done with keeping quiet about it. (for this moment anyway). And I for one, am also tired of hearing about all these yoga-based injuries. Yoga is about healing, about union, not about making us more ill and imbalanced. And I'm still ranting....

and sticking to it

for the present moment