Enter
- From steady Headstand I, keep your head and forearms grounded.
- Bend your right leg; place your foot on your left thigh.
- Bend your left leg; place your foot on your right thigh.
- Draw your knees closer and lift your thighs toward vertical.
Steps
Support
Crown, both forearms, and little-finger sides of the hands.
Hold
- Press through your forearms; keep your shoulders lifted above the floor.
- Center your pelvis over your shoulders without arching your lower back.
- Keep your thighs lifted and your chest open.
- Keep your head and neck still.
Exit
- Release lotus, one leg at a time.
- Straighten both legs and return to Headstand I.
- Exhale; slowly lower your feet and rest in Child’s Pose.
- Breathing
- Breathe deeply and evenly throughout the hold.
- Duration
- 30 seconds per leg crossing; return to Headstand between crossings.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Folded blanketPlace it under your head and forearms.
- WallPractice beside a wall.
- Without lotusKeep both legs straight and together in Headstand I.
Variations
- Backward extension: take your thighs backward.
- Pārśva: turn your pelvis and lotus sideways.
- Piṇḍāsana: lower lotus toward your armpits.
Signals of effort
- Inverted on your crown and forearms.
- Feet on opposite thighs, without touching the floor.
- Deeply bent knees.
- Sustained external rotation in both hips.