Mastering the Art of Inversions

Starting a yoga practice is full of challenges and progression. The first time we try it, we may feel like all our muscles are on fire. But it doesn’t take long to see progress, and before we know it, we’re mastering pose after pose. However, after a while, our progress stagnates, and we get comfortable. Downward Dog, Chair pose, and Warrior 3 all become a breeze.

While comfort is nice, yoga is a spiritual and personal development path with no concrete endpoint. So to continue our progression, we must keep pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. Embracing challenges and letting ourselves be humbled is where real growth happens, and inversion poses are ideal for this! So if you’re ready to level up your practice, read on to discover the incredible benefits of going upside down and how to safely practice the most common yoga inversions.

The Benefits of Yoga Inversions

In a yoga inversion, your body is turned upside down with your head below your heart (like in downward dog) and sometimes also your hips (as in headstand).
Inversions have tons of physical, mental, and emotional benefits, many of which are due to the reversed flow of blood that happens when we go upside down.

Improved Circulation – As we spend most of our time on our feet, blood pools in the lower extremities, like our ankles and feet. So going upside down encourages blood to flow back towards the heart, enhancing circulation and oxygenation of the body’s cells.
Enhanced Immune Function – Inverting your body also improves the functioning of the lymphatic system by flushing out toxins and waste products. This, in turn, enhances the immune response.
Better Spinal Health – Inversions shift the body’s gravity and decompress the spine, reducing pressure on the intervertebral discs. Inverting is so beneficial for the spine that the concept is used as a therapeutic technique (inversion therapy) to stretch the spine and relieve back pain.
Increased Brain Function – Inversions also increase blood flow to the brain. This creates more oxygen and nutrients to make the brain function faster, enhancing cognitive functions like focus and mental clarity. This also results in a boost of mental energy.
Change Of Perspective – Inversions literally turn our world upside down, giving us a different view of our physical surroundings. However, inversions can also change our mental perspective as they challenge us to confront and break through mental barriers and self-limiting beliefs. Inversions also push us out of our comfort zone and past our fears, showing us that we are capable of more than we think.

Level Up Your Yoga Practice with 3 Advanced Inversions

If you’re ready to explore the world of inversions beyond downward dog and shoulder stand, here are three excellent inverted poses to explore.

1. Dolphin Pose

Dolphin is a wonderful prep pose for advanced inversions as your body becomes familiar with the sensation of the hips over the head and the weight distribution needed to maintain balance. However, unlike with the headstand, your toes are still connected to the ground, so there is no risk of falling out of the pose.

Here’s how to practice the Dolphin pose:

From Table position, lower the forearms to the floor, tuck the toes under and lift the hips up towards the ceiling.
Spread the fingers wide apart with the middle finger facing forward, and the palms shoulder width apart.
Press the forearms, fingers and the palms into the floor, and press the hips up and back. Keep the spine straight and long, reaching up high through the tailbone.
Keep the feet are hip’s width apart with the toes facing forward. Press the heels into the floor feeling a stretch in the back of the legs. The legs are straight, or you can have a small bend at the knees to keep the back flat.
Let the head and neck hang freely from the shoulders; the forehead can rest on the floor.
Breathe and hold for 2-5 breaths.
To release: bend the knees and lower the hips back to Table pose, or come all the way down to Child pose.

2. Supported Headstand

Headstand is one of the classic advanced postures every yogi seeks to master. However, like all inversions, learning headstand takes patience and perseverance. To work up to a headstand, many yogis will need to learn to shift the body weight away from the feet and using the wall can help you build confidence while learning to engage the correct muscles to prevent injury.

You can position yourself with your feet close to a wall. That way, you can walk your feet up the wall to come into a reverse L-shape while learning to shift the weight with your toes pushing off the wall to find balance. If you lose balance, you can easily reach the wall with your foot to stabilize rather than toppling over.

Here’s how to practice supported headstand and the correct alignment to aim for:

1. Start in Table Top Position. Place your forearm on the floor and cup your hands together by interlacing the fingers, forming a triangle between the hands and shoulders.

2. Place the top of of your head on the floor, pressing the back into your hands.

3. Firmly press down with the elbows and forearms, so your head isn’t bearing any weight.

4. Tuck your toes, and lift your knees and hips and straighten the legs, as you would for Downward Facing Dog.

5. Walk your feet up the wall until your hips are directly above your shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are engaged, and the back of your neck is long, the reverse L-shape.

6. Engage your core and start to pull one foot away from the wall with bent knee, find your balance, and maybe the long leg is trying to pull away from the wall.

7. If you find your balance and able to have both knees tucked with hips above your shoulder, your are 80% there, if you feel comfortable and balanced, extend one leg up at a time to find a straight line from your head to the ankles.

8. Hold for as long as you’re comfortable. Release slowly and with caution.

3. Handstand

If you’ve already mastered the supported headstand, you might want to challenge yourself further. For most yogis, the natural progression is handstand. When learning handstand, having someone spot you or using the wall as support is essential to avoid injury. If you are kicking up against the wall to come into position, be mindful on bad alignment habits, such as the common “banana back.”

Here is a better way to learn handstand:

Face away from a wall. Get into an all-fours position with your knees and toes flexed and in contact with the floor. Your hips should be over your knees and the soles of your feet should be pressed against a sturdy wall. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders.
Grip the ground with your hands and rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats. Engage your shoulders, hips and core.
Push your hips into the air and begin to slowly walk your feet up the wall, coming into a 90-degree angle with your hips directly over your head. This may be enough for you today. If so, stay here for 5 to 10 breaths and then release.
If you want to go further, float one foot off the wall, bringing the leg directly over the hips. Hold for a few breaths and then repeat with the other leg.
If you feel balanced, try to float one leg up, then the other, holding them above the hips. Squeeze your legs together and squeeze your glutes and quads. Engage your core. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked.
When ready to come out, release your feet to the wall and walk down.
Repeat the wall handstand for your desired number of repetitions and length of time.

This method breaks the pose into stages, so you can get comfortable with the sensation and weight bearing before coming into the final position.

Final Thoughts on Advancing with Inversions

Ready to change your perspective and level up your balance?
Inversions carry injury risks, so we suggest learning them with a skillful teacher, either online or in person. This will ensure you thoroughly warm up and follow the proper alignment cues.
Practyce have many inspiring inversion-themed classes for you. Our skilled teachers will meet you where you are, offering plenty of modifications and alternatives.

Try these Inversion classes to elevate your yoga practice