Playing with Headstand

Headstand, you've come full circle.

You used to be that pose I figured I'd never do. The posture I dreaded at the start of every class. The one I tried at home, cautiously working my way away from the wall. 

You brought up fear and insecurity, sometimes even jealousy as I looked around the room at other yogis who could hold an inversion effortlessly.

But the other night I could not get enough of you, headstand. I found myself upside down, content, at peace, steady. I'd come down, take a rest, and dive back in for another round.

I even played around with split leg headstand, testing my balance, seeing where I needed to firm my muscles and where I could be relaxed. 

Stability comes with practice. Strength comes over time. When we are receptive, when we offer the yoga up instead of attaching rigidly to it, all is possible.

I am grateful to be at a moment in my practice where I approach the mat with less fear. I don't cringe at the thought of headstand or the arm balances. I simply enter into the present, taking an asana one step at a time, seeing what is possible.