Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana (Sideways One-Legged Headstand) registers as 12* on the 60* scale of difficulty.
Drawing your foot to the floor beyond your side body in Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana requires deep external rotation in the grounded leg. Not only is it difficult for me to externally rotate my leg to the side, but it’s equally challenging to maintain the internal rotation of my skyward leg. Just check out the picture of Iyengar and the picture of me to see what I’m talking about. My skyward leg begins to externally rotate as my grounded leg reaches further sideways on the earth.
Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana requires very different dynamics on each side of the body. Acknowledging and attending to those differences can be quite a challenge when you find yourself upside down! Rely on your body’s inner wisdom to connect with the unique sensations on each side of your body. And, of course, relying on a friend’s careful eye and guidance always helps.
How do you recognize misalignment and readjust in inversions?
Tags: asana, Iyengar, Light on Yoga, misalignment, Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana, yoga
