Flipping yourself upside down creates a change of perspective both mentally and physically. Physically your body is using muscles, bones and organs in a very different way than it is used to. When your body inverts, gravity causes the blood to flow to your head, this may temporarily reduce blood pressure and heart rate. Inverting also allows blood to flow from the lower to upper lungs, ensuring a more even exchange of oxygen in the blood promoting healthier tissues.
Aside from the physical effects, inversions also allow the student to see the world from an unfamiliar, opposite perspective. Judith Hanson Lasater said, "When you do headstand you can only see the world, not yourself. When you do shoulderstand you can only see yourself, not the world. They are the perfect yin/yang, king/queen, mother/father energies."
Going upside down requires balance, strength, and trust. If you are in good health and have none of the contraindications for doing inversions,(high blood pressure, recent back or neck injury, or pregnancy) then why not give them a try.
A good place to start is by building strength in your upper body. Plank pose and Dolphin dives are good for working the muscles in the upper arms and across your chest. Dolphin dives have the added benefits of also being an inversion where your head is lower than your heart and placement of the forearms on the floor is the same base used for sirsasana (headstand).
Steady balance requires a stable pelvis and spine which can be acquired by strengthening the core muscles around your trunk. Plank pose is great for this, causing the core muscles to fire in order to keep the hips in line. Work in side planks to engage the muscles on the sides of your waist as well challenge your balance.
Along with strength and balance, flexible hamstrings can make sirsasana and pinchu mayurasana (forearm balance) more attainable by allowing you to walk into the inversion rather than jumping into it. Walking in makes you less likely to lose your balance and you will get up with better control.
Now that your body is ready to go upside down, will your mind go along also? Fear is probably the biggest obstacle when it comes to balancing inversions. There is fear of falling, or fear of not being able to get into the pose, or fear of being disoriented once you are up. B.K.S. Iyengar said, "The best way to overcome fear is to face with equanimity the situation of which one is afraid." Fortunately, disorientation subsides fairly quickly.
Trust your body. For headstand, start in Table pose facing a wall. Place your hands about 6-8 inches away from the wall and rest on your forearms. Grab opposite elbows to determine how wide your arms should be. This ensures proper alignment of the elbows under the shoulders. Keep the elbows where they are and bring your hands together. Interlace your fingers. Tuck the bottom little finger in towards your palms. Turn the crown of your head toward the floor and rest your head in your hands. Push your forearms down so the top of your head barely touches the floor. Push your feet down and lift your hips up. Start walking your feet in closer to your body. When you've walked into the pose as far as you can, bend one knee and lift your foot off the floor, tucking your heel in toward your buttocks. Then bend the other knee and bring your foot off the floor. Find your balance with your hips over your shoulders. Slowly start to straighten your legs, bringing the souls of your feet to face the ceiling. Pull your belly in to engage the core and squeeze your legs together as you reach your heels toward the sky. Gaze straight ahead and breath. You can only see the world, not yourself. Try to stay for at least 3 breaths. Bend your knees and lower them toward your chest to come down and take Child's pose.
Approach your inversions with respect. Taking such a different view of the world can be daunting at first. Trust in the process. Once you start to feel at ease with this perspective, you may notice events in your life that once sent you upside down emotionally, are now handled with greater confidence and stability.
Aside from the physical effects, inversions also allow the student to see the world from an unfamiliar, opposite perspective. Judith Hanson Lasater said, "When you do headstand you can only see the world, not yourself. When you do shoulderstand you can only see yourself, not the world. They are the perfect yin/yang, king/queen, mother/father energies."
Going upside down requires balance, strength, and trust. If you are in good health and have none of the contraindications for doing inversions,(high blood pressure, recent back or neck injury, or pregnancy) then why not give them a try.
A good place to start is by building strength in your upper body. Plank pose and Dolphin dives are good for working the muscles in the upper arms and across your chest. Dolphin dives have the added benefits of also being an inversion where your head is lower than your heart and placement of the forearms on the floor is the same base used for sirsasana (headstand).
Steady balance requires a stable pelvis and spine which can be acquired by strengthening the core muscles around your trunk. Plank pose is great for this, causing the core muscles to fire in order to keep the hips in line. Work in side planks to engage the muscles on the sides of your waist as well challenge your balance.
Along with strength and balance, flexible hamstrings can make sirsasana and pinchu mayurasana (forearm balance) more attainable by allowing you to walk into the inversion rather than jumping into it. Walking in makes you less likely to lose your balance and you will get up with better control.
Now that your body is ready to go upside down, will your mind go along also? Fear is probably the biggest obstacle when it comes to balancing inversions. There is fear of falling, or fear of not being able to get into the pose, or fear of being disoriented once you are up. B.K.S. Iyengar said, "The best way to overcome fear is to face with equanimity the situation of which one is afraid." Fortunately, disorientation subsides fairly quickly.
Trust your body. For headstand, start in Table pose facing a wall. Place your hands about 6-8 inches away from the wall and rest on your forearms. Grab opposite elbows to determine how wide your arms should be. This ensures proper alignment of the elbows under the shoulders. Keep the elbows where they are and bring your hands together. Interlace your fingers. Tuck the bottom little finger in towards your palms. Turn the crown of your head toward the floor and rest your head in your hands. Push your forearms down so the top of your head barely touches the floor. Push your feet down and lift your hips up. Start walking your feet in closer to your body. When you've walked into the pose as far as you can, bend one knee and lift your foot off the floor, tucking your heel in toward your buttocks. Then bend the other knee and bring your foot off the floor. Find your balance with your hips over your shoulders. Slowly start to straighten your legs, bringing the souls of your feet to face the ceiling. Pull your belly in to engage the core and squeeze your legs together as you reach your heels toward the sky. Gaze straight ahead and breath. You can only see the world, not yourself. Try to stay for at least 3 breaths. Bend your knees and lower them toward your chest to come down and take Child's pose.
Approach your inversions with respect. Taking such a different view of the world can be daunting at first. Trust in the process. Once you start to feel at ease with this perspective, you may notice events in your life that once sent you upside down emotionally, are now handled with greater confidence and stability.
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