Headstand & red dots in the face

I've been following the HS1 for half year once a week and am currently on headstand 4x48s holds.

Physically it's not difficult exercise for me, however quite uncomfortable for my head. I'm putting a thick towel on top of the yoga mat to soften the pressure for my head, but there is still uncomfortable pressure on my head and neck. While the time spent holding the position was increasing, I started to notice small red dots in my face after each session. Mostly the small dots are around my eyes and eyelids, but littlebit also in forehead. I assume these are ruptured tiny blood vessels. In general, my blood pressure is normal, I'm trying to take this exercise easy without effort, and I'm weighting 91 kg. Is that normal side effect? What else can I do to improve this situation?

Hi Janno,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with these. Please send in a video of your form/head position. A visual is the best way for us to help you with your head position. As far as the redness goes, I recommend consulting a physio. Looking forward to the video!

 

Some time has passed since I submitted my question. Meanwhile I've moved one step up to 4x60s holds and today finally found a good place and time to shoot couple of clips. The technique looks littlebit too shivering, which is probably due to 2 weeks pause in this exercise, usually I feel much more stable in this. But the problem remains- discomfort in head and some little red dots (I suspect that partially the problem is also caused by weak neck). Otherwise, the exercise doesn't feel difficult and that's why I added another clip for reference with 60s forearm headstand, where my head and neck feel much better.

Headstand 1

Headstand 2

Forearm headstand

 

Hi Janno,

You definitely want to avoid neck pain here so hopefully these tips help you:

1. In the headstand, move your hands slightly closer to your head so that you create a 90-degree angle at the elbow.

2. Tuck your chin a little more, attempting to create a "double-chin" in the position. This may support your neck a bit more. 

Give those a try and please let us know how it feels. 

I also had tiny red dots on my face, especially around the eyes, every time after I try something like a back lever. I don't have the strength to hold it but I tried very hard, and I held my breath. That must have caused some tiny vessels in my face to bust. It's more visible around the eyes since the skin there is thinner. It goes away in a day or two, so I was never too worried (disclaimer: all above is thru self diagnosis). Plus I get to wear foundations, so I don't have to keep seeing the annoying red dots...

Your neck should have strengthened by now after all the months of practice. If still uncomfortable, probably should re-adjust head position as Everett suggested. Also, remember to breath, or focus on breathing better. It helps with mental focus, and definitely with blood flow!