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Get the Summer Moving with Half Wheel and Headstand

written by Emily Garrettfor Venus Rising Magazine

Gemini 07 Issue

BALANCED

Gemini is ruled by the element of air. She likes to move. Whether from place to place or from thought to thought, Geminis have the ability to adapt and flow with life’s changes. They are comfortable moving from one thing to the next, and at times, find it hard to stay still. Change keeps our minds stimulated with new ideas, places, and sights and a Gemini’s intellect thrives on this stimulation.

Openness to change and to life is a quality that is represented well by the wheel pose in yoga.  The wheel pose requires an open heart and throat.  The shape of the wheel is an arc or a half circle.  If we placed one wheel on top of another it would make a complete circle.  This circle represents the continuum of life, from birth, through the stages of life, to death.  This cycle is symbolic of change itself and our movement through the cycles of life.  Geminis unhinging desire to experience and explore is a celebration of life and a reminder to live our lives now, without fear.

URDHVA DHANURASANA/ FULL WHEEL

Lie on your back with your knees bent.  Plant your feet parallel, hip width apart, and just a few inches from your buttocks.  Press into your feet and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, coming into a bridge pose.  Now, plant your hands on either side of your head with your fingers pointing toward your shoulders.  Reach your elbows toward each other, bringing them in line with your wrists.  Press into your hands and lift the crown of your head onto the floor.  Squeeze the elbows in and draw the shoulder blades down the back.  This may be enough for your body.  If this feels like a big enough stretch for you, stay here and give the shoulders and chest some time to open.  With time, you may be able to move deeper into the pose but there is no rush.  Listen to your body. If you feel okay and you would like to move deeper, then press into your hands and lift your head off the floor.  Work to straighten the arms.  Keeping your feet parallel, hug your legs toward each other to protect your lower back.  Press your shoulders away from the knees and feel your chest open.  Breathe.  Allow your body to open.  When you are ready to come down, tuck the chin in toward your chest and lower onto your upper back.  Roll down one vertebrae at a time and hug the legs into the chest.  Feel the rush of energy through the body.  Let it flow.

UNBALANCED 

A Gemini thrives on change and yet change itself can leave her feeling disconnected.  Able to move quickly through life, at times she gets lost in the movement around her and forgets where she is going and where she came from.  When she feels disconnected, its important to slow down and take the time to reconnect.  Once she feels more connected inside herself, she will be able to move back into the world with enthusiasm.  If she doesn’t take this time, she may get completely swept up by the forces around her, which can lead to anxiety, mistrust of others, and the inability to speak up for herself. 

Headstand is a wonderful way to reconnect.  It requires an integrated connection within the vertebrae of the spine and the whole body working to align at center.  The concentration and balance necessary to hold headstand focuses attention away from external forces and into the body.  In addition, being upside down increases the blood flow to the brain, which both nourishes and relaxes the mind.

SIRSASANA/HEADSTAND

Note: do not perform headstand if you have a displaced retina or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

To practice headstand, start on hands and knees in a table top position.  Lower your forearms to the mat and clasp your hands around your elbows in order to measure the distance between your shoulders.  Make sure that your hands are all the way around your elbows, as if you were giving yourself a hug.  Then, keeping your elbows where they are, release your hands and clasp them together.  This will create an upside down V-shape with your forearms.  Now, bring the crown of your head to the floor, with the back of your head touching open palms.  Make sure that you bring the crown down, rather than the forehead or the back of the head.  Your shoulders will want to fall toward your ears.  Instead, press into the forearms and move your shoulders away from your ears.  You will need to continue doing this for the entire headstand. 

Once you have created a stable base with your forearms and head, tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor. Press your hips up to the ceiling and back toward the wall behind you as if you were doing downward-facing dog pose. This is headstand preparation. Headstand preparation will build the strength necessary for full headstand, and you can stay here as long as you need to and work on pressing into your forearms to move your shoulders away from your ears. This may be as far as you go today. Keep practicing the headstand prep until you feel ready to lift into a full headstand. This may be months or years. You decide.

On the day you do feel ready to lift into full headstand, walk your feet toward your shoulders until your hips are directly above your shoulders.  Then use your abdominals to lift your legs off the floor.  You can begin by bringing the legs into a tuck position, close to the chest.  Lift the legs together toward the ceiling or sky and straighten them.  In the beginning, you will most likely fall over a lot.  Remember that it is OK to fall, and part of finding balance is being willing to fall over.  If you do fall, try to relax into it rather than resist.  If your muscles are relaxed when you fall over, you are a lot less likely to hurt your self.  You could also try against a wall.  Start with your hands a few inches from the wall and as you get more comfortable, walk farther away from the wall until you are balancing without it.  When you do come into headstand and balance, press into your forearms and move your shoulders away from your ears.  There should be just as much weight in your forearms as on top of your head.  Squeeze through the inner legs and reach through the toes.  Breathe.  When you are ready to come down, lower your legs together, using your abdominals to help control the movement, and rest in child's pose.

Aaaah.  Enjoy the exhilaration of being upside down. 

Avoid injury! When practicing yoga, listen to your body and take responsibility for your safety. Always move gently into poses, and do not push too hard.

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