Headstand Preparation Pose II

How to do Headstand Preparation Pose II

1. 1Begin on your hands and knees, placing your forearms on the mat with elbows shoulder-width apart and fingers interlaced.
2. 2Lower the crown of your head lightly onto the mat, nestling the back of your skull securely into your cupped palms.
3. 3Tuck your toes, straighten your legs, and elevate your hips toward the ceiling in an inverted V-shape.
4. 4Actively press through your forearms and outer wrists to lift your shoulders away from your ears, minimizing direct load on the neck.
5. 5Walk your feet closer toward your face until your pelvis stacks directly over your ribcage and shoulders.
6. 6Draw your lower abdomen in firmly and bend one knee toward your chest, hugging the thigh tight to your torso.
7. 7Float the second foot off the floor into a tight, controlled tuck without jumping or kicking off the ground.
8. 8Hold this compact balance for several slow breaths, keeping your shoulders elevated, before gently lowering your feet back down.

Benefits

• Strengthens the serratus anterior and deltoids to support overhead stability.
• Deepens transverse abdominis activation necessary for controlled inversions.
• Decompresses the lumbar spine by stacking the pelvis over the shoulders.
• Enhances proprioception and nervous system regulation in inverted orientations.
• Cultivates isometric strength along the deep neck and upper back musculature.

Common mistakes and cues

• Sinking into shoulders

  Actively press down through your forearms and wrists to keep your neck long and uncompressed.

• Kicking into balance

  Use slow, eccentric core contraction rather than momentum to float your toes off the floor.

• Flaring the elbows

  Keep your elbows firmly shoulder-width apart to preserve a stable, triangular foundation.

• Shifting weight to the forehead

  Rest precisely on the flat crown of your head to maintain natural cervical alignment.

• Holding the breath

  Keep a rhythmic, calm breathing pattern to avoid spiking intra-thoracic pressure.

Modifications and props

• Wall support

  Practice with your back near a wall so your pelvis can touch it for stability as you lift your feet.

• Strap above elbows

  Loop a yoga strap just above your elbows to prevent them from sliding outward on the mat.

• Single-leg float

  Keep one set of toes grounded on the mat while drawing only one knee tightly into your chest.

• Blocks under shoulders

  Place two upright blocks under your shoulders in a tripod setup for extra tactile lift and neck clearance.

Cautions

• Cervical spine injuries

  Avoid this pose entirely if you have a history of neck herniation, instability, or acute pain.

• High blood pressure or glaucoma

  Skip full weight-bearing inversions to prevent dangerous increases in cranial or ocular pressure.

• Recent shoulder pathology

  Refrain from loading the shoulder girdle until you have regained full pain-free overhead stability.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

Practise this for

Classes that teach this pose

Upcoming Ashtanga classes where this shape shows up.

Teachers and studios for this practice

Related poses