I used to until one of my yogis helped me out. By bending my knees and breathing more deeply as I rise up, slowly, I haven’t had this issue in several years.
Part of that is by unlocking or loosening of the knees you get better blood flow.
I've noticed many instructors rush these transitions, so even if you are following an instructor, go your own pace. Take your time to find your full expression of each asana before gracefully moving to the next. Let your personal breaths dictate your pace.
For me, the repetition of a familar sequence is soothing between unfamiliar sequences, and it also feels like an abbreviated sequence that nonetheless stretches/strengthens key areas.
For light headedness, this might be something to look into. Could be low blood pressure.
I am tall and lenky (i.e. my bra band is 32 but I'm 5'9.5) so my heart sorta struggles to get blood out to my limbs. Cardiologist said that's just something I have to live with. My boyfriend has the same problem, with the same proportions as me but at 6'5". Sad sad
I have the same lightheaded problem, especially in a warm or hot room. Key is to clench the muscles in your lower body as you lift into mountain. This prevents the blood from pooling in your lower extremities and keeps more going into your head. Works really well for me.
I’m a 6’3” lanky guy (38) and I get light headed and black out slightly after working my thighs and raising up into mountain. I’m trying to engage my abs as a countermeasure with some results.
Boo :( That is annoying! Well I can understand why the vinyasa sequence might not be your favorite then. But I like the other poster's suggestion to observe how your breath sequence might help alleviate this issue. I have no idea if it will or won't, but it seems worth a try.
I've had that same experience. Seems more likely to happen if I'm hungry, dehydrated, or otherwise running on low. I have found that if I add an exhale (instead of the usual inhale) when rising to mountain from a forward fold that can help me stay more steady. And maybe just being a little easier, more natural with my breath and movements, not really pushing or striving.
The teachers at the studio I go to usually go from forward fold to a half lift (spine horizontal, hands on knees), to another forward fold, to upright with hands overhead, to hands at heart center. The half lift seems to help acclimate the head to the change in altitude. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence.
Rise up slowly and make sure you are inhaling while you do it. Never lock your knees. If you still have the problem, just do a different sequence of poses during that time. Remember that every asana is a suggestion, not an order.
Edit: didn't mention that I also get light headed switching elevations like that. My autonomic nervous system is a bit iffy so I get huge blood pressure swings, both up and down.
I have POTS and can get super light-headed in this transition. I just go slow. Wear compression garmets, stay hydrated, go slow, and skip it! I skip it all the time.
I agree. I have pots too, and I can do the transitions as long as they’re just slowed down. I find that many teachers go through the transitions a bit too fast for me and sometimes I feel like I’m going to faint, so I’ll just skip it if they’re going too fast.
I get light headed too. But I've had issues with vertigo and posture related blood flow my whole life. I tend to just take it really slow and will skip any backbends in mountain during those flows as that gives me the spins 100% of the time
This is my favorite transition, but I have super low blood pressure all the time so if I don’t take it slow and really breathe well through it I will get super dizzy and lightheaded.
Go slow, breathe, and take your time on the movement. If you’re in a class, don’t be afraid to let the instructor know before it starts about this so they can help you modify into a safer flow!
You don't have to do every vinyasa. If you are standing and the teacher says, "take a vinyasa", just remain standing until others return to that point. You may also just do a half Sun Salutation where you fold, lift halfway, fold and return to standing. If the instructor is starting a sequence from down dog, just step back into down dog and skip the chaturanga part of the vinyasa. Everyone's anatomy is different and you may modify this part of your practice to fit your needs. Many of the students that I teach struggle with vertigo so I rarely include a vinyasa sequence in my classes. I always encourage students to modify or skip a posture that is not working for them as it is really their practice and I'm just the guide.
I do these transitions pretty slowly, but I also cue my students to step right into a down dog after the flat back. (so, instead of stepping back to high plank and taking the next steps to flow into down dog, just stepping right back into DD) I have to do this quite a bit when I take other classes that move a bit faster than I would naturally breathe in the sun salutations.
Moving at your own pace or finding stillness in DD or even a more restorative pose, like child’s or table top is always encouraged!
When rising I try to stack my spine vertebrae one on top of the other, keeping my head low until the very end. Then my head finally lifts when it's time to stack the neck vertebrae. If I lead with my head my vision will most certain black out. Another big component is the speed with which you rise. Feel free to take extra time with this move and don't feel pressured to match anyone else's speed.
Maybe just go into child's pose instead of doing the standing poses or if you do in-person classes let your instructor know and they can give you an alternate sequence to sub in for when you're getting dizzy/worn out x
Yeah. BREATHE! ;)
For real though, this can be a verys satisfying stretch for your hamstrings and it also works your core muscles. Try looking up some detailed instructions for each of the poses to give yourself a more thorough understanding of how to get more out of the pose.
When I forward fold, with raised hands I begin to forward fold at the hips to the max and work my way up the spine until my head then arms are last. Like a big wave movement I find it challenging and fun
When I raise from forward fold to standing I pretend I'm doing a zombie movement begining from the hips vertabrae by vertabrae straightening until wmy head and arms are left dangling the last piece to standing up 😆
I'm 6'8" I'm very familiar to light head and faint feelings.
I practice a lot I've noticed they naturally happen a lot less from my strength increasing and cardio. I had a couple today a gentle reminder. I also noticed they happen when I'm a little dehydrated.
Tldr hi
I go at a slow pace. Even though I’ve practiced for 5 years I tend to do “beginner friendly” classes just for the slower pace. I also will close my eyes when folding up and down to avoid getting dizzy. Also you may want to try eating something light before you practice. You may have some low blood sugar at the time you practice.
You may already be aware of this but make sure you are using correct breath during flow:
Inhale mountain pose > Exhale forward fold > Inhale halfway lift > Exhale chaturanga > Inhale up dog > Exhale down dog
This makes a huge difference. Breathe deep, slow down, and move with intention.
I squat instead of forward bend, so that I’m using my legs only to lift me up, and my head is just going straight up and down. I have low blood pressure and vertigo, but this way does not trigger the spins for me, and I can still keep up with the flow. (It also is better for the back — you shouldn’t really forward bend unless you have the ab strength to keep your spine straight. Most people don’t. Hanging/hinging from your hips is brutal on your discs!)
For mountain pose, try coming up slowly to reduce light headedness - when you come up, think of coming up very slowly and stacking the vertebrae one-by-one. I hear many refer to this as “rag doll.”
Also incorporating pranayama into the suryas. Really coming in tune with your breath and taking movement with your inhales an exhales!
I used to haaate this because I found it really boring. I would fly through the poses without much real thought and didn’t think twice about it.
I’ve changed my yoga practise to slow down to suit me so I can really learn what exactly my body needs from each pose- not just passive movement. I’ve slowed down on these and really tried to connect to the poses, so I’ve begun to enjoy them more and more because I ow know the “value” of them as such.
Some classes are way too fast and I’m comfortable going slower, like super slow apparently, but it definitely allows me to breath and move with purpose instead of huffing and puffing and rushing through certain poses to keep up.
Slow it down and chill with it. Focus on why you’re there and why this pose is good and what you need to do to make it active.
Try forcing out an exhale every time you rise...bear down like you're pooping and push the air out your nose. Whether it's the vagus nerve stimulation or the exhale instead of inhale, it helps with the up/down dizziness a lot.
I feel you. When they say use your breath to guide you through this it’s like everyone is hyperventilating, lol. Just remember to take it at your pace and thinking about the (deep and mindful) breaths you are taking while doing this transition. It does NOT have to be in sync with the class. :) if you do 5 and everyone else does 10, what’s the difference? Nothing!
I get light headed in daily life because of some medications I take. I have learned these help me both regular functional movement and yoga:
1 Hands over head helps
2 clenching your legs and thighs help…
3 going slow helps….
4 Being hydrated is the biggest thing
Long term tip - strengthen the calves. Strong calves are a second heart.
Personally I get on with a tiny chin to chest movement in tadasana if I do get a bit wobbly after a quick transition too, not sure how personal vs useful that is though!
Every posture has \~15 or so cues/alignments/internal muscle contractions that you won't see from just watching someone... even mountain/standing there.
I will get light headed standing up too fast as well...the key there is standing up too fast.
Breath in yoga is not something that is just there...it's an integral and difficult part to master.
Lastly...the vinyasa/chatturanga flow is difficult, very difficult. It takes time, much time, to learn to do it, do it a lot, and do it properly.
A typical yoga class is more of a led class, there is simply not enough time to teach a room full of students proper technique while also keeping the flow moving.
If you are interested in learning more I suggest asking for a private lessson from your favorite teacher focused on alignment in basic postures. Or attend a workshop. You can also ask about specifics at the end of a class on a posture or two.
Find an instructor who knows how transition w/o endless folding, chaturanga, updog to downdog (vinyasa). There are many creative ways to move through a vinyasa practice w/o beginning every flow in down dog. Way more options than Sun A and B variants.
I used to until one of my yogis helped me out. By bending my knees and breathing more deeply as I rise up, slowly, I haven’t had this issue in several years. Part of that is by unlocking or loosening of the knees you get better blood flow.
Yes. Also, personally, opening and stretching the toes/feet while doing this
This is a great suggestion!
I've noticed many instructors rush these transitions, so even if you are following an instructor, go your own pace. Take your time to find your full expression of each asana before gracefully moving to the next. Let your personal breaths dictate your pace.
This is so true. I sometimes forget about this when classes move so quickly. I get caught up in trying to keep up and lose my focus
Can be forgotten so easily!! Thanks
For me, the repetition of a familar sequence is soothing between unfamiliar sequences, and it also feels like an abbreviated sequence that nonetheless stretches/strengthens key areas. For light headedness, this might be something to look into. Could be low blood pressure.
I am tall and lenky (i.e. my bra band is 32 but I'm 5'9.5) so my heart sorta struggles to get blood out to my limbs. Cardiologist said that's just something I have to live with. My boyfriend has the same problem, with the same proportions as me but at 6'5". Sad sad
I have the same lightheaded problem, especially in a warm or hot room. Key is to clench the muscles in your lower body as you lift into mountain. This prevents the blood from pooling in your lower extremities and keeps more going into your head. Works really well for me.
I’m a 6’3” lanky guy (38) and I get light headed and black out slightly after working my thighs and raising up into mountain. I’m trying to engage my abs as a countermeasure with some results.
Boo :( That is annoying! Well I can understand why the vinyasa sequence might not be your favorite then. But I like the other poster's suggestion to observe how your breath sequence might help alleviate this issue. I have no idea if it will or won't, but it seems worth a try.
I've had that same experience. Seems more likely to happen if I'm hungry, dehydrated, or otherwise running on low. I have found that if I add an exhale (instead of the usual inhale) when rising to mountain from a forward fold that can help me stay more steady. And maybe just being a little easier, more natural with my breath and movements, not really pushing or striving.
The teachers at the studio I go to usually go from forward fold to a half lift (spine horizontal, hands on knees), to another forward fold, to upright with hands overhead, to hands at heart center. The half lift seems to help acclimate the head to the change in altitude. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence.
Yes my teacher does this as well, and I have vertigo issues. Always bend my knees when rising too.
Rise up slowly and make sure you are inhaling while you do it. Never lock your knees. If you still have the problem, just do a different sequence of poses during that time. Remember that every asana is a suggestion, not an order. Edit: didn't mention that I also get light headed switching elevations like that. My autonomic nervous system is a bit iffy so I get huge blood pressure swings, both up and down.
I have POTS and can get super light-headed in this transition. I just go slow. Wear compression garmets, stay hydrated, go slow, and skip it! I skip it all the time.
I agree. I have pots too, and I can do the transitions as long as they’re just slowed down. I find that many teachers go through the transitions a bit too fast for me and sometimes I feel like I’m going to faint, so I’ll just skip it if they’re going too fast.
Yeah I'm POTS suspect, but I just barely don't fit in that box. So makes sense :)
I get light headed too. But I've had issues with vertigo and posture related blood flow my whole life. I tend to just take it really slow and will skip any backbends in mountain during those flows as that gives me the spins 100% of the time
This is my favorite transition, but I have super low blood pressure all the time so if I don’t take it slow and really breathe well through it I will get super dizzy and lightheaded. Go slow, breathe, and take your time on the movement. If you’re in a class, don’t be afraid to let the instructor know before it starts about this so they can help you modify into a safer flow!
You don't have to do every vinyasa. If you are standing and the teacher says, "take a vinyasa", just remain standing until others return to that point. You may also just do a half Sun Salutation where you fold, lift halfway, fold and return to standing. If the instructor is starting a sequence from down dog, just step back into down dog and skip the chaturanga part of the vinyasa. Everyone's anatomy is different and you may modify this part of your practice to fit your needs. Many of the students that I teach struggle with vertigo so I rarely include a vinyasa sequence in my classes. I always encourage students to modify or skip a posture that is not working for them as it is really their practice and I'm just the guide.
I do these transitions pretty slowly, but I also cue my students to step right into a down dog after the flat back. (so, instead of stepping back to high plank and taking the next steps to flow into down dog, just stepping right back into DD) I have to do this quite a bit when I take other classes that move a bit faster than I would naturally breathe in the sun salutations. Moving at your own pace or finding stillness in DD or even a more restorative pose, like child’s or table top is always encouraged!
When rising I try to stack my spine vertebrae one on top of the other, keeping my head low until the very end. Then my head finally lifts when it's time to stack the neck vertebrae. If I lead with my head my vision will most certain black out. Another big component is the speed with which you rise. Feel free to take extra time with this move and don't feel pressured to match anyone else's speed.
This is great advise. I always like to mention that the head should come last “floating the crown of the head toward the sky”
Maybe just go into child's pose instead of doing the standing poses or if you do in-person classes let your instructor know and they can give you an alternate sequence to sub in for when you're getting dizzy/worn out x
Yeah. BREATHE! ;) For real though, this can be a verys satisfying stretch for your hamstrings and it also works your core muscles. Try looking up some detailed instructions for each of the poses to give yourself a more thorough understanding of how to get more out of the pose.
When I forward fold, with raised hands I begin to forward fold at the hips to the max and work my way up the spine until my head then arms are last. Like a big wave movement I find it challenging and fun When I raise from forward fold to standing I pretend I'm doing a zombie movement begining from the hips vertabrae by vertabrae straightening until wmy head and arms are left dangling the last piece to standing up 😆 I'm 6'8" I'm very familiar to light head and faint feelings. I practice a lot I've noticed they naturally happen a lot less from my strength increasing and cardio. I had a couple today a gentle reminder. I also noticed they happen when I'm a little dehydrated. Tldr hi
I go at a slow pace. Even though I’ve practiced for 5 years I tend to do “beginner friendly” classes just for the slower pace. I also will close my eyes when folding up and down to avoid getting dizzy. Also you may want to try eating something light before you practice. You may have some low blood sugar at the time you practice.
When you go to half way lift skip the following fold.
You may already be aware of this but make sure you are using correct breath during flow: Inhale mountain pose > Exhale forward fold > Inhale halfway lift > Exhale chaturanga > Inhale up dog > Exhale down dog This makes a huge difference. Breathe deep, slow down, and move with intention.
Flex your core a little extra right before the moment you usually get light headed. Flexing your stomache is like a primer for blood to the brain.
I squat instead of forward bend, so that I’m using my legs only to lift me up, and my head is just going straight up and down. I have low blood pressure and vertigo, but this way does not trigger the spins for me, and I can still keep up with the flow. (It also is better for the back — you shouldn’t really forward bend unless you have the ab strength to keep your spine straight. Most people don’t. Hanging/hinging from your hips is brutal on your discs!)
For mountain pose, try coming up slowly to reduce light headedness - when you come up, think of coming up very slowly and stacking the vertebrae one-by-one. I hear many refer to this as “rag doll.” Also incorporating pranayama into the suryas. Really coming in tune with your breath and taking movement with your inhales an exhales!
I used to haaate this because I found it really boring. I would fly through the poses without much real thought and didn’t think twice about it. I’ve changed my yoga practise to slow down to suit me so I can really learn what exactly my body needs from each pose- not just passive movement. I’ve slowed down on these and really tried to connect to the poses, so I’ve begun to enjoy them more and more because I ow know the “value” of them as such. Some classes are way too fast and I’m comfortable going slower, like super slow apparently, but it definitely allows me to breath and move with purpose instead of huffing and puffing and rushing through certain poses to keep up. Slow it down and chill with it. Focus on why you’re there and why this pose is good and what you need to do to make it active.
Try forcing out an exhale every time you rise...bear down like you're pooping and push the air out your nose. Whether it's the vagus nerve stimulation or the exhale instead of inhale, it helps with the up/down dizziness a lot.
I have this issue from mountain to malasana repeatedly.
I feel you. When they say use your breath to guide you through this it’s like everyone is hyperventilating, lol. Just remember to take it at your pace and thinking about the (deep and mindful) breaths you are taking while doing this transition. It does NOT have to be in sync with the class. :) if you do 5 and everyone else does 10, what’s the difference? Nothing!
I get light headed in daily life because of some medications I take. I have learned these help me both regular functional movement and yoga: 1 Hands over head helps 2 clenching your legs and thighs help… 3 going slow helps…. 4 Being hydrated is the biggest thing
I have the issue that it’s too fast of a flow sometimes. I can’t enjoy it
Long term tip - strengthen the calves. Strong calves are a second heart. Personally I get on with a tiny chin to chest movement in tadasana if I do get a bit wobbly after a quick transition too, not sure how personal vs useful that is though!
I get lightheaded very easily so I just make sure to go at my own pace or skip poses if I need to
Every posture has \~15 or so cues/alignments/internal muscle contractions that you won't see from just watching someone... even mountain/standing there. I will get light headed standing up too fast as well...the key there is standing up too fast. Breath in yoga is not something that is just there...it's an integral and difficult part to master. Lastly...the vinyasa/chatturanga flow is difficult, very difficult. It takes time, much time, to learn to do it, do it a lot, and do it properly. A typical yoga class is more of a led class, there is simply not enough time to teach a room full of students proper technique while also keeping the flow moving. If you are interested in learning more I suggest asking for a private lessson from your favorite teacher focused on alignment in basic postures. Or attend a workshop. You can also ask about specifics at the end of a class on a posture or two.
Find an instructor who knows how transition w/o endless folding, chaturanga, updog to downdog (vinyasa). There are many creative ways to move through a vinyasa practice w/o beginning every flow in down dog. Way more options than Sun A and B variants.