As I am preparing for my workshop towards inversions, I realise many of you must be wondering why do inversions in the first place?  So I hope the below will help you understand what are inversions and why they are so good for us. 

What are inversions?

Inversions are asanas in yoga that take you upside down. They bring the hips higher than the heart and the heart higher than the head; they are an integral part of a yoga practice. There’s an inversion for every level in yoga. From Balasana (Child’s Pose) to Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), no matter where you are in your practice, you’ll always be able to find a way to get upside down.

Are Inversions safe?

Yes. Mostly. In truth, it depends completely upon the person performing the inversion. Anyone with spine, neck or head injuries needs to take extra caution when practicing inversions; as does anyone with high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems.  Anyone who is completely healthy still needs to take precautions when practicing inversions. Warming up properly, listening to your body and progressing slowly are good tips to take into consideration when going upside down. Poses like Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) and Sirsasana (Headstand) can place a lot of pressure on the upper back and shoulders and need to be approached carefully and mindfully.

Some days will feel different than others. If you ever have any doubt about going upside down for whatever reason, listen to that and opt for staying upright until you feel ready to invert yourself again.

Physical benefits of yoga inversions:

1. Fountain of youth

It’s said that turning yourself upside down will get the fountain of youth flowing inside you.  When we go upside down we ignite our seventh chakra, sahasrara chakra or crown chakra, where it is said that amrita, the ‘nectar of immortality’ is held, and it naturally flows through our bodies over the course of our lives.  Because of this, it’s thought that going upside down keeps our amrita at our crown chakra, preserving it and therefore allowing us to live longer.

2. Give your heart a rest

When we turn upside down, we give our hearts a few moments of rest.  Our hearts work very hard for us throughout the day. They’ve got to pump freshly oxygenated blood upwards to our brains and that takes a lot of effort.  However, when we invert ourselves, the blood flows more easily toward our hearts and heads, allowing the heart to take a break.

This also reduces blood pressure and our heart rate. However, there is no evidence as to how exactly this lowers blood pressure, and because this is not completely understood, inversions are not recommended for people with high blood pressure.

3. Improve circulation

We all have tissues and fluids in our body that get concentrated in different places, often in the lower body simply because of gravity, which create varicose veins and hemorrhoids.  When we go upside down, those fluids drain from our lower body clearing up any congestion that has gathered. This includes blood, as well. Our overall circulation improves and our bodies are better able to cleanse themselves of waste over time.

4. Stimulate the lymphatic system 

Our circulation is part of our lymphatic system—the system in the body that removes waste, contributes to our immunity and flushes healthy, disease-fighting blood cells throughout the body.  When we turn upside down, we stimulate our lymphatic system and therefore strengthen the immune system and rejuvenate any underused areas in the body. Inverting the head can also help clear blocked sinuses and lungs. Clearing out these vulnerable areas helps keep away viruses like the common cold and flu.

5. Give you energy

If you ever feel like your energy begins to wane around mid-afternoon, get yourself upside down!  All that blood flowing to your brain benefits more than just your heart. It’s a natural brain boost, giving you more energy to finish out the rest of your day.

6. Better balance

So you’ve finally mastered the standing balancing poses and you’re looking for something else to tackle? Inversions might be your next challenge. Inversions test our balance in a much different way than when we’re standing on one or both feet. When we balance upside down, it creates an entirely new dimension. It literally flips our perspective upside down.

7. Builds core strength

Let’s be honest, it’s easy to get away with not using our core in a lot of standing asanas…But nobody’s going to get away with that in an inversion. Core strength is a must when it comes to holding yourself up and staying balanced, especially in poses like Headstand, Tripod Headstand and Handstand, among others.

Especially for women who tend to be stronger in their lower bodies than upper, it’s imperative that we build up our core strength and gradually work towards the more advanced inversions.

Psychological benefits of yoga inversions

1. Confidence building

It takes a lot of practice and patience to not only get yourself up, but stay in an inverted pose. When you do, though, it’s like a rush of adrenaline. It’s proving to yourself that you can do it, and that you can overcome obstacles and achieve things you maybe thought you’d never achieve. This confidence all of a sudden flows into the rest of your life, making for a lasting change.

2. Increases focus

You have to focus when you’re upside down. If you lose focus, you fall. Enough said.

3. Humbling

With that, we all lose focus sometimes, and falling is humbling. Practicing inversions is good way to learn the notion of non-attachment. Ultimately, inversions aren’t about being perfect in the pose—they teach us to stay present and persevere, regardless of our circumstances.

4. Promote Relaxation

This applies more to the cooling inversions, such as Child’s Pose or Legs up the Wall. These inversions calm down our nervous system and bring our attention inward. They make us feel more balanced and peaceful.

5. Gain a New Perspective

We’re surrounded by notions of right and wrong in this life. But inversions teach us to look at things from a different perspective. Getting upside down is different for everybody, and there’s no ‘one way’ to do it. What works for you might not work for the next yogi.

Spending time upside down changes the way things look, literally and figuratively. Sometimes inversions help us to see things more clearly, and this translates into our everyday choices, making it easier to know what it is we really want for our lives.

6. Fun

Inversions are fun! Even when we’re not nailing them, it’s fun to try and fall every once in a while, too. And sometimes having fun is simply enough!

Hope this is enough information to convince you that inversions are good for you!

Namaste

Christel