Yoga Inversions
Yoga inversions are yoga posts that put you into an inverted position, where your heart
is at a higher level than your head. There are some for intermediate and advanced
yogis that you can work toward doing.
Camel Pose
A popular yoga inversion and one that is at the intermediate level is the camel pose.
There are quite a few benefits to adding this inversion to your yoga practice, including
strengthening your back, helping improve your balance and flexibility, and improving the
strength of your knees. To do the camel pose, you are opening your chest and bending
your back. You should be on the mat with your knees touching your mat and your knees
hip-width apart. You will reach backward, bending your back and head, to where your
hands touch your feet behind you. This looks simple, but it takes a bit more flexibility
than you might think.
Handstand
The next inversion pose is a handstand, which is also a really popular and common
inversion to do. The handstand looks difficult, but really it just relies on proper balance
and strength. It can take some time learning how to do a proper handstand, but once
you do, you might want to do it every single day. With a handstand, your entire body is
upside down, and it can bring so much calmness and your body just feels rejuvenated
once you are right-side up again. It easiest to learn a handstand while leaning against a
wall to have that extra stability.
Charging Scorpion
This is a variation on the scorpion pose that you can start practicing, and is also more at
the advanced level as far as inversions go. With the charging scorpion pose, you are
resting all your weight on your forearms, similar to a standard scorpion pose. Again, you
will be completely upside down with your head pointing down. You will be using your
abdominal muscles to support your body as you lift your legs, with both knees bent, and
have one leg toward the front of your body, with the other leg toward the back of your
body. It looks similar to a scorpion when it is about to attack is prey.
Inversions often look challenging, but really they all begin with other yoga poses that
gradually get your ready for these upside-down inversions. The stronger and more
flexible you are, the easier they will become.