YogaKutir

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We teach traditional Hatha Yoga, a holistic science for health and wellbeing. Yoga Teacher Training.

Rory Viggers & Dory Walker
Yoga Teacher Trainers, Mind Mechanics, Meditation, Headstand & Inversion specialists, Global Retreat leaders, 25 years, Dona Holleman students. Feel awesome in body and mind through ancient practices for contemporary life. Our Yoga is inspired by our study of classical teachings of Hatha yoga in disciplines that include Iyengar, Sivananda, Satyananda, Krishnamacharya and

Dona Holleman's Centered Yoga system. We offer weekly yoga classes, courses and workshops in Clifton - Bristol, the South West & London. UK and International Yoga Retreats. Holistic Treatments. Yoga Therapy. Private Tuition. Yoga in the workplace.

15/06/2026

Imagine holding a heavy pole in your hands and arms & not letting it touch the ground

Now imagine how much less effort would be required if the pole could connect to the floor

Your arms no longer have to be the main support

They’re more for balance

Not only does it require less effort, the whole structure becomes more stable

The ground now helps support the load

Yet one of the most commonly taught Headstand methods is still:

Put most of the weight in the arms

Little to none on the head

This is one of the biggest reasons I see people struggle

Because they are making the posture far more physical than it needs to be

The arms get tired

The legs feel HEAVY to lift

Balance feels wobbly

Staying up feels hard work

Fear increases

And then the story begins

“I need stronger arms.”

So what happens next?

More Dolphin reps & arm strengthening.

You build superhuman arms

But you still struggle

Because the issue was never the arms

And it goes on

Because this cue rarely comes on its own

Usually it sits alongside:

Holding your opposite elbows to measure arm distance

Clasping the head into the hands

Walking the feet in before lifting

More Dolphin reps...

When you start stacking these cues together, the posture becomes harder

I’ve worked with hundreds of teachers + students specifically with Headstand

And this is one of the biggest patterns I see

People think they have a strength problem

Most often its a method problem

When they finally learn how to develop support through the central column, everything starts to change

No overnight strength gains

Just a redesign

Legs start floating

Balance improves

Fear reduces

The pose becomes lighter

I’ve been teaching Headstand for a long time

And still today, so many of the most commonly taught methods are not the most effective

If you’re struggling with Headstand right now, it probably isn’t for the reason you think

I break this down fully in the upcoming free 3-part Inversion & Arm Balance training

You will walk away with clear insights into what’s actually going on + new techniques to implement straight away

Reply HEAD and I’ll send you an invite

13/06/2026

If your legs feel heavy in Crow, there is a reason.

And it probably isn't because you're not strong enough.

Most people think the answer is stronger arms.

I think the answer is a stronger engine.

One of the biggest things I see is people treating Crow as an arm balance.

Which makes sense.

Because that's how it's usually taught.

Knees high on the arms.

Lean forward.

Balance.

Fly.

And when it works, what usually keeps everything together is:

arm strength

leg grip

friction

gravity

The pelvis sits high.

The weight drops into the arms.

And the whole thing can be held together without the abdominals doing much of the work.

This is why so many people tell me:

"My arms burn."

"My legs feel heavy."

"I can get up but it never feels light."

"One slip and... nose dive."

All because the engine isn't doing the work.

The Bakasana family aren't primarily arm balances.

They're abdominal practices.

That is their role in the asana family tree.

It's what makes them such a powerful counter pose to backbends.

And why they can support the lumbar in forward bends.

The lesser-practised version makes this impossible to miss.

The legs open.

The shins move towards the triceps.

The grip disappears.

And suddenly the lift has to come from somewhere else.

The abdominals.

Without them, the landing gear doesn't leave the runway.

When this engine switches on:

the legs get lighter

the arms work less

the whole body becomes integrated

And here's the best part.

You don't have to change which version of Crow you practise.

You can add this engine to any variation.

And when you do, everything changes.

In fact, I have a favourite drill that teaches this exact action without even balancing on your hands.

I share it inside the upcoming free 3-part Inversion & Arm Balance training.

If you'd like an invite, reply CROW.

12/06/2026

Working with hundreds of teachers + students specifically with Headstand, I’ve noticed one pattern more than any other

The biggest thing stopping people’s progress is often the very thing they’ve been told will help them

And the crazy thing is they don’t realise it

Because they are doing exactly what they were taught

Then when it doesn’t work, they’re told:

Practise more
Build more strength
Be patient

So they assume the problem is them

Not strong enough
Not flexible enough
Not practising enough

But in 2026, many of the most commonly taught Headstand methods are simply not the most effective

And when you properly analyse what those methods are actually doing, it becomes obvious why so many people struggle

I’ve had people come from specialist inversion trainings, popular online programmes & years of practice.

The cues are often exactly the same

Things like:

1 - Hold your opposite elbows to measure arm distance

2 - Keep most of the weight in the arms / none (or little) on head

3 - Clasp the hands tightly around the head

4 - Always walk the feet in before lifting

5 - Do more Dolphin reps to build strength

These are all signs that key pieces are missing.

And each one of these has a far more effective method you can use instead.

And when that happens and those missing pieces are restored, everything changes

Legs float with more ease
Fear reduces
People stay longer with less effort
Balance becomes dramatically easier

Not because they suddenly became stronger

Because they finally switched to a method that makes sense

There isn’t room in this post to unpack all of that

But I absolutely will - in detail - inside the upcoming free 3-part Inversions Training

And I’ll also share 3 new techniques you can start using immediately that have transformed Headstand for hundreds of students and teachers.

If you’d like an invite, reply HEAD

It will change your Headstand practice and understanding

11/06/2026

If your legs feel heavy in Crow, there is a reason.

And it probably isn’t because you’re weak.

Bakasana today is taught as an arm balance

Classical Bakasana has a different focus.

And that difference changes everything.

Somewhere along the way, the posture shifted into a more arm-dominant version.

In the popular form:

Legs are neutral
Knees stick to the backs of the arms
The body slants downwards
Weight rests more in the arms

What helps keep everything together is friction + angle.

Which is why it can feel:

heavy in the legs
heavy in the arms
short lived
one slip away from nose diving

The classical version is a very different bird.

This is the version I learned from Dona Holleman, who learned it from Iyengar in the 1960s.

Shins move toward the armpits, not the knees
Legs are externally rotated
Pelvis + shoulders are level
Spine curves upward (essential)

And the main lift does not come from the arms.

It comes from the abdomen.

Because the Bakasana family are abdominal practices.

That is where they sit in the asana family tree.

When the abdomen becomes the engine, lift feels much lighter.

Yes, the classical version requires more:
energy
abdominal power
precision
inner lift

Because that is exactly what it is designed to build.

And that is why it becomes so transferable.

The lifting action is one of the greatest abdominal exercises you can develop.

And there is a drill you can do with the feet still on the floor that gives you the exact same lift pattern.

So even without “flying”, you can train the real action.

That is something I’m sharing inside the free 3-day Inversion & Arm Balance training next week.

If you want Crow to feel light instead of heavy, reply CROW and I’ll send you the invite 🚀

Follow .kutir for more crow tips

10/06/2026

The biggest problem with “Master Headstand in 14 Days” promises isn’t that they’re unrealistic.

It’s what happens when Day 15 arrives.

Because when the legs don’t lift.

When the balance isn’t there.

When the pose still feels hard.

Most people don’t question the promise.

They question themselves.

Maybe I’m not strong enough.

Too old.

Not built for this.

Maybe everyone else can do it except me.

I’ve worked with hundreds of students & teachers around inversions.

And one thing is very clear.

There is no universal timeline.

Two people can follow the same process, put in the same effort, and one may take 10x longer than the other.

Not because they’re doing anything wrong.

Simply because they’re starting from different places.

And then there is another problem.

What exactly are we promising in 14 days?

A Headstand where you can throw your legs up for a few breaths?

Or one that feels light, stable, comfortable & effortless?

Those are very different standards.

I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve worked with who thought they couldn’t do Headstand.

Only to discover they were missing key pieces nobody had shown them.

This is why we’ve never promised results in a certain timeframe.

Because the timeline is not the point.

The process is.

We live in a world of speed, shortcuts & instant gratification.

When you remove the pressure of the clock, people stop forcing, stop comparing and finally have the space to build something that lasts.

Because if you want a shortcut, you have to make cuts.

And usually the things being cut are the very things that matter most.

The students inside Inversion Foundations aren’t succeeding because they’re rushing.

They’re succeeding because they finally have permission to take their time.

To understand the process.

To fill in the missing pieces.

And that’s when the breakthroughs happen.

Not because they suddenly became stronger.

But because they stop believing they are the problem.

If you’d like to understand why Headstand hasn’t fully clicked yet, reply HEAD & I’ll send you an invite to the upcoming free 3-part training.

It will change your trajectory 🧭

09/06/2026

Why is it that so many Headstand methods tell you to put little to no weight on the head in Forearm Headstand...

Yet have no problem with you putting significantly more weight on the head in Tripod Headstand?

It’s something I never understood.

Because if avoiding weight on the head is the goal, Tripod makes even less sense.

Yet Tripod is usually taught after Forearm.

Why?

Because Forearm is where you build the support.

And this is where many people get misled.

The arms play a key role in Headstand.

But not in the way most people think.

They are not there to carry the body.

They are there to switch on the support system that carries the body.

The arms organise the posture.

The central column supports it.

Head.
Spine.
Pelvis.
Legs.
Feet.

One of the most common things I see is people using the arms as the main support structure.

So very quickly they feel:

not strong enough

not stable enough

not capable enough

And it’s no surprise.

Because if the arms are doing a job they were never designed to do, the pose will always feel heavier than it needs to.

When the arms are understood differently, everything changes.

The shoulders mobilise

The spinal support switches on.

The body aligns more effectively with gravity.

And suddenly the pose feels lighter.

Not because you got stronger.

Because you became more organised.

Inside Inversion Foundations this week we explored exactly this.

One member shared:

“I’m amazed how much lift I get when I organise the shoulders & arms differently. The pose suddenly feels stable & effortless.”

She didn’t add more strength.

She simply changed the method.

This is something I see over & over.

People think the problem is strength.

Often it’s the method.

Headstand remains one of the most misunderstood postures in yoga.

If you’d like to understand what creates a light, stable & effortless Headstand, reply HEAD & I’ll send you the invite to the free 3-part training.

06/06/2026

If your legs are slipping in Crow or Crane, gripping harder isn’t the answer.

In fact, the need to grip is often a sign that a key piece is missing.

The same thing is usually true when:
your legs feel heavy
your arms burn
you keep nose diving

Most people are taught something like this:
Pelvis high.
Knees to upper arms.
Lean forward until gravity kicks in.
Grip.
Balance.
Fly.

And yes, it works.

But it also means you have a Plan B and a Plan C.

Plan B:
Grip between the legs and arms.

Plan C:
Arm strength.

So let me ask you this.
If neither of those were available...
What would have to happen?

How would you keep the legs light?
How would you stop slipping?
How would you make the arms feel less loaded even though you’re carrying the same body weight?

The answer is lift.

And lift comes from the engine room.
The abdominals.

This is why I view the Bakasana family primarily as abdominal practices.

When that engine switches on:

the legs get lighter
the arms do less work
the grip becomes less important
the pose feels completely different

This is also why I prefer the lesser-practised version (shown in this reel)

Because without the abdominal action, flight doesn’t happen.
The engine has to come online.

And here’s the important part:
this isn’t exclusive to the classical version.

You can add this missing piece to any version of Crow.

And when you do, you’ve just upgraded the engine.

I break this down in detail inside the upcoming free 3-part Inversion & Arm Balance training.

If you want lighter legs and a lighter Crow, reply CROW and I’ll send you the invite.

04/06/2026

One of the biggest things missing from modern asana is understanding that movement happens in two directions at once.

Most classes focus on one direction.

Stretch.

Reach.

Lengthen.

Move further.

But if the body only moves in one direction, something is missing.

Because every movement has an opposite movement happening at the same time.

This is one of the foundations of elongation.

And when you experience it, everything changes.

More stability.

More support.

More space.

Less effort.

We’ve been using resistance bands in our practice for decades after being introduced to them through Dona Holleman.

One reason I love them is they make this principle obvious.

A belt fixes the body into a position.

A band keeps possibility alive.

You can feel opposing directions working together.

Not just reaching.

Not just stretching.

But elongating.

In Virabhadrasana II, the band instantly shows where the body is only moving in one direction.

And where the missing direction lives.

When both directions are present there is a completely different feeling.

More space.

More support.

More centredness.

This same principle becomes essential in inversions.

Because elongation combined with rooting is what creates lift.

It creates lightness.

It creates stability.

It reduces effort.

This is one of the foundational principles we use across all inversion and arm balance work.

And one of the reasons bands have become such a big part of our teaching.

We have something coming soon where we’ll dive deeply into bands, elongation and how to apply them throughout asana practice.

If you’d like to be the first to hear about it, reply BANDS.

03/06/2026

If Crow feels heavy, the engine is probably switched off…

What helps take yoga postures to another level is not always more advancement or physical metrics

It’s understanding the full potential of what the posture can offer

One group of asanas that offers much more than most people realise are the Bakasanas

Today they are mainly taught as arm balances

Fun
Challenging
A good test of strength and balance

But there is another purpose that is rarely taught

They are abdominal postures

This is their role and function in the asana family tree

It’s what makes them one of the best counter postures for backbends

And what helps create support through the lumbar area in forward bends

But this is often missed

Because the focus is usually on stacking

Moving the body forward enough to align with gravity

Then using the legs, gripping and friction to hold everything together

What happens is the arms often take the load & it becomes an arm-centred practice

But if you didn’t rely on the legs gripping, what would you have to use?

The abdominals

The full engine

This is what creates the lift

What makes the legs lighter
What supports the arms
What stops you collapsing or nose diving

This is why I prefer the less known version of the pose

The legs are externally rotated
The pelvis & shoulders are more level
The spine curves upward
You cannot rely on grip alone

You have to create lift

You can get away with this engine being switched off in the more commonly taught version

The grip of the knees and arms, plus the raised pelvis, means gravity & friction can carry much of the work

But what you learn in the lesser-known version is the full engine

And when you apply that to any version, you have just awoken a sleeping giant

I continue to receive messages from students & teachers from all lineages who have applied this & transformed their practice

And the best part is, you don’t even have to balance on your hands to access this action

This is one of several things I’ll be sharing in the upcoming free 3-part Inversion & Arm Balance training

If you want to switch on this engine & make the legs light, reply CROW for an invite

02/06/2026

If Headstand still feels like an arm-strength battle, you may have been given the wrong method.

Most people struggling in Headstand do not have a strength problem.

But that’s exactly what they’ve been led to believe.

So they do more Dolphin reps.
Build stronger arms.
Practise harder.

And still struggle.

Because Headstand is one of the most misunderstood postures in yoga.

How many times have you heard:

Keep all the weight in the arms
Little to no weight in the head
Hold opposite elbows to measure
Do more Dolphin reps
Use a wall
Walk the feet in before lifting

Put several of these together and you’ve made the posture 10x harder.

Then there is another piece.

Most people assume Headstand is universal.

It isn’t.

A Vinyasa Headstand for a few breaths
An Iyengar Headstand for longer holds
A Power Yoga version for moving in and out
A Sivananda model where beginners learn within weeks

All called Headstand.

But not built for the same outcome.

And if you’re learning one version while wanting the result of another, you’re going to struggle.

Then you question yourself.

Not strong enough.
Not capable enough.
Not practising enough.
Too old.
Arms too short.

I’ve heard all of it.

Then the method changes.

And suddenly the story changes too.

The arms stop doing jobs they don’t need to do.
The missing pieces become obvious.
The pose gets lighter.
The struggle starts to make sense.

And people realise:

It wasn’t them.

It was the method.

This is exactly what I break down inside the free 3-part Inversion & Arm Balance training.

If Headstand still feels heavier, harder or more frustrating than it should, reply HEAD and I’ll send the invite.

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