How do you do sheershasana?

Shershasana [Sheersha means top or head sana means topsy turvy pose. It has to be learned in a gradual, systematic and a careful manner and practiced in a judicious manner to get its optimum health benefits.

1. Get up in morning. Make sure that the bowels are evacuated completely and satisfactorily. Do not eat anything till at least half an hour after finishing the sheershasana.
2. If possible take bath.
3. Take a towel or a napkin and fold in such way that you can keep take it as a soft and firm support under your head.
4. Sit in a squatting position.
5. Keep the folded towel in front.
6. Bend and keep your head on the towel.
7. Rest the hands by the side of your head.
8. Stretch your legs in the knees.
9. Gradually bring the feet closer to you head.
10. You will experience increase in the weight on your head.
11. This is called bhooshirasana.
12. Do this much only for about a week.
13. After a week when you will be able to lift the legs, comfortably , do so.
14. The legs may lifted half way.
15. After two weeks or so you can easily lift the legs completely and make them straight.

• Do not start alone.
• Do not start if you are too heavy.
• Do not practice after eating.
• Do not practice after alcohol.
• Do not give jerks or assume the pose suddenly.
• This is a very useful yoga pose but you should do it entirely by your choice and to verify the benefits and not with blind belief.
• Sheershasana helps to aid and ease the blood circulation because of gravity [Circulation is against gravity in erect posture].
• Sheershsana also helps to prevent tendencies to prolapse of pelvic organs such as uterus.
• Sheershasana also helps to improve the circulation to the apical regions of the lungs, which do not get adequate blood supply in erect position.

• Do NOT practice in pregnancy, lesion of neck, high blood pressure, high interocular pressure, glaucoma.
• Do not start suddenly and without guidance.
• Do not start on a hard surface and or in the vicinity of sharp objects.
• Do no teach or practice in very young [infancy] and very old [senility around 60 yrs] age.

• A towel
• Space of about 10 x10 ft
• Open mind
• CuriOSity and desire to learn, experiment and verify.