Pregnant Anushka Sharma Nails Shirshasana — Check Out the Health Benefits
Tags: Celebrity, Health, Pregnant, Anushka Sharma, Pregnancy

Mom-to-be Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who is expecting her first child with cricketer Virat Kohli, is enjoying every bit of her pregnancy days. In her latest post on Instagram, she spilled fitness motivation on the Internet with a throwback photo of herself performing Shirshasana.

The 32-year-old actor-turned-producer, who is already a fitness freak and yoga enthusiast, can be seen acing the Headstand yoga posture with her husband Virat Kohli’s help. She also penned a note on attempting “the most difficult” pose” while also describing how she continued with her yoga practice throughout pregnancy.

Take a look:

She revealed that Yoga is an integral part of her life, and she has been performing Shirshasana for many years. However, she also mentioned that she practiced Headstand yoga under her yoga teacher’s supervision and ample support from her husband during pregnancy!

What is Shirshasana?

Shirshasana, also known as Salamba Shirshasana or Yoga Headstand, is an inverted asana in modern Yoga. It has been called the ‘king of all the asanas.’ In this asana, the practitioner balances their entire body’s weight upside down with their forearms and head on the floor. This yoga pose is known to be a calming exercise for the body and mind.

Shirshasana is one of the most challenging asanas to do, and it takes tremendous courage and confidence to perform it during pregnancy. Within the pic shared, she used the wall for support while her husband held her legs to provide her the much-needed support during the yoga pose.

What Are the Health Benefits of Shirshasana?

As per Yoga in daily life, Shirshasana (Headstand) offers several health benefits:

● Increases the blood supply to the head area, nourishes the brain cells, and strengthens hair roots.

● Reduces/relieves migraines and headaches.

● Helps in calming the mind and relieves stress and anxiety.

● Strengthens arms and shoulders.

● Aids and improves digestion.

● Strengthens the lungs and boosts the respiratory system.

● Improves memory and the ability to concentrate.

● Helps in controlling diabetes as it boosts the pituitary gland.

● Improves eyesight by increasing blood supply to the eyes.

● Lessens/prevents the accumulation of fluid in the thigh, calf, feet, and ankle.

Is It Safe to Perform Shirshasana During Pregnancy?

As an advanced practitioner of the inversions, Anushka attempted the Supported Headstand (Salamba Shirshasana), a variation of the Sirsasana with proper wall and her husband’s support. In her post, she also mentioned that this asana was done under her yoga teacher’s supervision, guiding her virtually through this session. Besides, you can see she wore high-stretch maternity yoga and activewear during the yoga pose.

While many doctors recommend doing pregnancy-friendly exercises during pregnancy, it’s advisable to consult your doctor if you’re thinking of doing specific yoga postures or asanas. The concerned doctor’s permission and yoga expert’s guidance, you need both. That’s because each pregnancy is different, and it all depends on the health of a pregnant woman how much stress and exertion she can bear during this period. However, adding meditation, Pranayam, and Surya Namaskar to your daily fitness regimen is always a wise decision as a pregnant woman.

As far as the Shirshasana is concerned, you should undertake it only if you have been doing it before pregnancy and are fully confident about it. Stay away from it if you have never done it before because pregnancy is not the right time to try an inversion practice. Even if you’re an advanced practitioner, you’re advised to take it up in the later months of pregnancy to avoid complications.

When you’re performing Shirshasana, posture stability is crucial for the baby’s safety. Like Anushka’s case, there should always be a trained expert virtually or physically present to supervise, guide, and support you during this yoga pose. Otherwise, you may end up with an injury to you and your unborn baby.