Balance in Inversions

This blog post is not for the beginner. It is for the seasoned practitioner who has a regular practice of headstand (salamba sirsasana) and shoulder stand (salamba sarvangasa).

So I made some discoveries today while practicing. It concerns the subtleties in our inversions to give stability, direction and balance.

Headstand (Salamba Sirsana)

1) Press the outer wrist into the floor

2) Life the trapezium muscles upwards

3) Put the exact center of the top of the head on the floor.

Note: For 3) above it may feel like the head is a little far away from the palms if you are used to doing this closer to your forehead. But it is correct action and will prevent the trusting of the lower front ribs.

Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)

1) Get to exact tip for the shoulders

2) Lift the sternum

3) Roll the upper arms outwards

4) Get that stretch in the skin at the back of the neck.

In all inversions, like in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), use the press of the heal to control the back body and use the press through the metatarsals to control the front body.

So press the heal and lift the trapezius away from the neck.

Press through the metatarsals, take the whole abdominal wall in and lengthen the front body.

Practicing in this way brings balance to the organs in inversions and allows you to stay in the pose comfortably, longer.

Thank you for practicing with me ;)

Namaste.