Master Head Balance and Inversion Principles
2.5 hrs
7 classes (20 mins)
100% Practice
King of Asanas includes seven challenging and fun instructional videos, each 15 to 30 minutes in length. The practices and teachings in the videos represent what I see as the most critical elements to extracting the essence of inversion positions in general, and specifically, the King of Asanas, Sirsasana, the Head Balance posture. There is a companion book, available on www.davidgarrigues.com, that can be used to further develop your study.
In the past I have had many students express fear, sometimes dread, towards inversions, especially Sirsasana the most challenging upside-down posture. So it may seem like an unlikely choice that I use Head Balance as a foundational posture, as well as a gateway through which something magical and potent can happen in your yoga practice. Studying and practicing The King of Asanas master series will take you on a journey—a journey where you acquire a many skills and strength needed to properly learn and execute Sirsasana. And, what is truly amazing, this work not only offers instruction and demonstration on proper Head Balance—it helps us to uncover the essential asana principles upon which all yoga postures are based.
Working with this material, in the videos and the book, will improve, possibly even transform, your entire approach to yoga practice. I have taught this material to students for over two decades. I consider these instructions to be essential for a daily yoga practice. My aim is for you to place more value on the inversion portion of your practice. In doing so, you will become more skilled at extracting the nectar of yoga knowledge from all your postures, whether you are upside down or right side up.
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Day 1 Head Balance Master Class
Day 1 introduces the basic postures and the overarching themes of this course. You will look at two of the most basic standing postures Samasthiti, (Equal Standing) and Vrkshasana (Tree Posture) to gain skills that will help you achieve Head Balance. I offer a working definition of inversion as...
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Day 2 Head Balance Master Class
Day 2 begins with utilizing the basic standing positions Samasthiti (Equal Standing), Vrshasana (Tree Posture), and Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend) to solve postural puzzles that require your skill in balance, and prepare you for the greater challenge of balan...
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Day 3 Head Balance Master Class
Day 3 you are introduced to the imagery of the Nine Spotlights for aligning your body accurately along the vertical axis in Samasthiti (Equal Standing) and Sirsasana (Head Balance). You’ll learn to see Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Angle Forward Bend) not only as a forward bend but also as a pre...
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Day 4 Head Balance Master Class
Day 4 begins looking how to use dynamism to create a powerful stance in Samasthiti (Equal Standing), and variations are added. You’ll do Vrshasana (Tree Posture) using a wall, which helps you generate skill in balance by illuminating the central axis from the crown of the head to the arches of th...
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Day 5 Head Balance Master Class
Day 5 you will learn a wall variation of Prasarita Padottanasana, the inverted wide-legged standing forward bend. By grounding your legs into a wall you can find an immovable position and tune in to the meditative rest that inverted positions offer. Another main reason that inversions are such a...
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Day 6 Head Balance Master Class
Day 6 you will explore how passive inversions bring restorative and meditative possibilities to your practice. One of my goals for offering this course is to give you different glimpses into the versatility of inversions. I aim to show you that they offer many, many contrasting benefits from tot...
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Day 7 Head Balance Master Class
Day 7 will review the list of postures that support Sirsasana, which include asanas of strengthening, gaining balance, activating bandhas, and bring meditative awareness. You will work with preparation in Bhujapidasana (Arm Pressure Posture), and also Bakasana (Crane Posture), to build upper body...
