Sirsasana aka Headstand

Today was a breakthrough for me! I finally did an almost headstand! 

I was following Kino's ashtanga yoga video and at the point where the headstand was coming up, I listened very carefully to her instructions.  First to the headstand preparation -- kneeling down, I plant my elbows stably right in front of my knees. I clasp on opposite elbows to measure the right distance between them.  I intertwine the fingers of my opposite hands together, and all of this should now be in a triangle form in front of my face.  I look down at the floor, put weight on my arms and feeling my deltoids working and my shoulders strong, I straighten my legs up and walk them in as far as I can.  At this point I am still looking at the floor. Then when I can walk in no further, I finally put my head between the intertwined fingers of my hands with the crown of my head touching the mat, the back of my head cradled by my fingers.  I walk in my legs some more until I feel my pelvis is straight up and right over my head, again testing the stability of my arms and shoulders by putting weight on them (and not the top of my head).  Then slowly I bring up first one knee bent and close to my chest, then the other knee bent and close to my chest, then ever so slowly slowly, remembering to tighten my core, I bring up both my legs and try to slowly slowly straighten them up and boom ... an almost headstand after a year of trying and falling and headstands against the wall or being held up by others.  There is hope! 

After again being unable to get myself up into headstand, I approached my teacher yesterday after class and dejectedly asked him how i can ever do a headstand and he said it was all about the strength of the core and to have patience.  As Kino always quotes from her teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois -- practice, practice and all is coming...  I should work on my core, my practice and my patience, and hopefully, all should come.