Śīrṣāsana (Headstand) is revered as the 'King of Āsana'. In the Ashtanga finishing sequence it is held for fifteen breaths straight up, then ten breaths at the half-bend (Ardha Śīrṣāsana), then ten breaths with the head lifted and the chin tucked: thirty-five breaths in all (Anuṣṭhāna, p. 80). Despite its name, the pose should distribute approximately eighty percent of the body's weight on the forearms and only twenty percent on the crown of the head. Śīrṣāsana uses a bound-hand foundation with the fingers interlaced and the head cradled in the hands.

From Sanskrit śīrṣa (head) and āsana (seat/pose). The pose is also called Sālamba Śīrṣāsana (supported headstand) to distinguish it from free-balancing variations in advanced series. In the finishing sequence the headstand is followed, without coming down, by Ardha Śīrṣāsana, the half-bend. The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā describes viparīta-karaṇī, a generic inverted practice that reverses the flow of prāṇa and apāna; scholars read HYP's viparīta-karaṇī as closer to a shoulderstand or half-inversion, but the principle — reversing the energetic currents through inversion — extends to Śīrṣāsana as well.

Śīrṣāsana has a 13-vinyāsa count, with the state at vinyāsa 8 (Anuṣṭhāna, p. 80). At vinyāsa 8 the practitioner holds the headstand straight up for fifteen breaths. At vinyāsa 9 the legs lower halfway, toes pointed, for ten breaths (Ardha Śīrṣāsana), and rise again; then the head lifts off the floor with the chin tucked for ten more breaths. At vinyāsa 10 (exhale) the practitioner comes down and sits back on the heels with the head down. At vinyāsa 11 (exhale) the jump back to Caturaṅga, then Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana (12) and Adho Mukha Śvānāsana (13). Sharath Jois counts the breaths slowly and evenly, and the whole sequence may last several minutes.

From kneeling, the practitioner places the forearms on the floor with the elbows shoulder-width apart and interlaces the fingers, creating a triangular base. The crown of the head is placed on the floor with the back of the skull cradled by the joined hands. The knees lift, the practitioner walks the feet forward until the hips stack over the shoulders, and then the legs lift — either with straight legs (pike) or by drawing the knees to the chest first and then extending upward. The entry should be controlled and bandha-driven, not kicked or swung.

In the full posture, the body is one straight vertical line from the crown of the head through the spine, hips, and legs to the pointed toes. The forearms press firmly into the floor, bearing the majority of the weight, while the head makes light contact — the neck should feel spacious, not compressed. The legs are together, active, and reaching upward with the inner edges of the feet touching. The breath is smooth and steady for the fifteen counts of the first hold, and the practitioner should feel stable enough to remain motionless, as if suspended from above rather than balanced from below.

After fifteen breaths straight up, the legs lower halfway for Ardha Śīrṣāsana (ten breaths) and rise again to vertical, and the head then lifts off the floor with the chin tucked for ten more breaths. The book describes this third hold only as lifting the head with the chin tucked, which puts the whole weight on the forearms. On an exhale the practitioner then comes down and sits back on the heels with the head still down, and rests there for a few minutes without lifting the head. The next exhale is the jump back to Caturaṅga. The descent should be as slow and controlled as the ascent; dropping the legs means the strength or the bandhas have given out. The exit is not Cakrāsana.

Nāsāgra dṛṣṭi (tip of the nose) is the prescribed gaze point. The eyes look downward toward the nose while the body is inverted, which helps maintain balance by stabilizing the visual field. The gaze should be soft and steady — darting eyes or a tense stare destabilizes the equilibrium. Some practitioners find a spot on the floor between the forearms helpful during the early stages of learning, but the traditional gaze is the nose tip. The eyes should remain open but relaxed throughout the thirty-five breaths.

Both mūla bandha and uḍḍīyāna bandha are essential and must work together to create the axial lift that takes weight off the cervical spine. Mūla bandha provides the upward pull from the pelvic floor, while uḍḍīyāna bandha engages the lower abdomen to support the spine and maintain the center of gravity over the base. Without strong bandha engagement, excessive weight falls on the head and neck, risking cervical injury. The bandhas should feel as though they are drawing the entire body upward, making the pose feel lighter over time rather than heavier.

The elbows must remain exactly shoulder-width apart — wider destabilizes the foundation, narrower creates excessive cervical load. The forearms press evenly into the floor, distributing weight across the entire forearm surface. The wrists remain neutral, not rolling inward or outward. The shoulders lift actively away from the ears, creating space in the cervical spine. The ribcage stacks directly over the shoulders, the pelvis over the ribcage, and the ankles over the pelvis in one straight vertical column. The slight natural curves of the spine are maintained — the back should not flatten completely.

The most dangerous error is bearing too much weight on the head, which can cause cervical disc injury or compression fractures over time — the forearms must carry eighty percent of the load. Allowing the elbows to splay wider than the shoulders is extremely common and immediately compromises the foundation. Banana-back (excessive lumbar lordosis) occurs when the core disengages and the ribs flare forward; this is addressed by engaging uḍḍīyāna bandha and drawing the front ribs in. Kicking up rather than lifting with control builds a pattern that prevents the practitioner from ever developing true stability.

Śīrṣāsana reverses the hydrostatic pressure gradient, increasing blood flow to the brain and reversing venous pooling in the lower extremities. The cervical spine bears partial axial load, requiring healthy discs and vertebral bodies. The deltoids, rotator cuff muscles, serratus anterior, and upper trapezius work isometrically to maintain the forearm base. The entire core musculature — rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae — engages to maintain vertical alignment. The pituitary and pineal glands receive enhanced blood flow in the inverted position.

Often called the 'King of Āsana' because of its extensive therapeutic benefits when practiced correctly. The increased blood flow to the brain is said to improve concentration, memory, and mental clarity. The pose stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands, which regulate the entire endocrine system. It is traditionally prescribed for mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue. The reversal of gravitational forces on the spine can relieve mild compression and promote disc hydration. However, it is contraindicated for high blood pressure, glaucoma, detached retina, cervical injuries, and during menstruation.

Beginners should practice at a wall initially, using it for safety rather than support — the wall catches a fall but the practitioner should strive to balance independently. Dolphin Pose (forearm downward dog) builds the shoulder and core strength needed before attempting the full inversion. Some students may need to work for months at Dolphin before their body is ready for headstand. Students with wrist or forearm issues can use a folded blanket under the forearms for cushioning. Students who are not yet ready for headstand should not skip it but practice the preparatory variations consistently.

Dolphin Pose (Makara Adho Mukha Śvānāsana) is the primary preparation, building shoulder stability and familiarizing the practitioner with the forearm-down position. Adho Mukha Śvānāsana develops the shoulder flexibility and hamstring length needed for the pike entry. The entire Primary Series builds cumulative core strength through vinyāsa transitions. Sarvāṅgāsana, practiced just before in the sequence, accustoms the body to inversion and develops the bandha control that headstand requires.

Sitting back on the heels with the head down is taken immediately after the headstand sequence, and the book asks for a few minutes of rest there without lifting the head. The kneeling forward fold gently reverses the headstand position and lets the blood pressure settle. The closing seated sequence that follows — Baddha Padmāsana, Padmāsana, and Utpluthiḥ — returns the body to an upright orientation and prepares for Śavāsana.

Śīrṣāsana literally inverts the practitioner's perspective on the world, symbolizing the reversal of conditioned thinking that yoga seeks to accomplish. The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (III.78-81) describes viparīta karaṇī as reversing the flow of the 'sun' and 'moon,' referring to the prāṇic currents that govern aging and vitality. Pattabhi Jois taught that headstand, when practiced daily, destroys disease and brings clarity to the mind. Sharath Jois emphasizes that the pose should be earned through consistent practice rather than attempted prematurely out of ambition.