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Turing the World Upside Down
Elisa Williams on 08 February, 2010 |

This weekend I was taking a fresh look at inversions with a group of fellow yoga teachers. It was both fun and informative. Importantly it also updated us on the most up to date medical evidence that supports the teaching of inversions to the majority of our students. For many of us it was reassuring to know that many of the old taboos around inversions in yoga had been laid to rest and while not quite all of the medical establishment or yoga schools had adopted these findings they are gradually becoming more and more widely accepted.

Pregnant and menstruating women with an established regular yoga practice for example were no longer considered at risk in inversions if they felt comfortable and strong enough to undertake them. Although the British Wheel of Yoga still upholds the recommendation of obstetricians that after 32 weeks of pregnancy they should be avoided by all but the most experienced of practitioners. Nor is it any longer considered problematic for people being treated for high or low blood pressure or suffering from eye conditions like glaucoma or detached retinas to perform inversions if they have already become fit enough to develop a strong practice.

It was reassuring for us teachers to know that while not all of the latest research is fully accepted by all areas of western medicine, we would not be giving our students inappropriate advice if they ask us whether it is medically safe for them to perform inversion asana. After all what we want most as teachers is to be able give our students the confidence and insight to be able make informed choices for themselves. Armed with good regular teaching and guidance they will be equipped to be able listen to their own body to understand and know their own strengths and weaknesses, energy levels and needs to tailor their daily practice for themselves and so enhance their own sense of well-being.

Indeed the rejuvenating benefits of inversions generally far out weigh the negatives, myths and cultural taboos. Through regular practice of yoga almost everyone can do a headstand or a handstand, and at the very least embark on the journey towards one by building up their arm strength, shoulder mobility, core and back strength and spinal flexibility to undertake one.

Our time studying inversions this weekend also included a practical session which involved us all going over the ground-work for strengthening and preparing ourselves and our students for inversions. My arms, shoulders, spine and core muscles had not been the focus of quite so much detailed attention for some time as we undertook a myriad of preparatory postures. All of course are essential to eliminate the risk of injury.

Headstand (salamba shirshasana) and handstand (adho mukha vrksasana) are after all seen as the king and queen of the yoga inversion poses and who doesn‘t want to one day aspire to such exalted heights? However of course inversion poses involve any asanas that lift the feet above the head. Other inversion poses that are well known include shoulder stand (salamba sarvangasana) and half shoulder stand (viparita karani). But even lying on the floor with your legs on a chair is an inversion pose. So as you can see anyone can do one! So start looking at the world from a different perspective and start working on your inversion poses during your practice today!