2013 Wellness Challenge Week 23: Inversions

When I was a kid it was fun. We had handstand contests in the front yard to see who could stay up the longest – the winner normally got to 10 seconds or so. We flipped and cartwheeled and hung from the monkey bars. It was all fun and games.

Today, the fear of falling over keeps me from getting up in the first place.

Going upside down is scary. But it’s also good for you. They wouldn’t have invented inversion tables if there were no health benefits. Ok, they might have, because they’re also super fun, but there are benefits to inverting!

Some of them relate to health, but just as many of the benefits relate to your mental and emotional fear blockages that hold you back.

The health benefits of inverting

  • Increase circulation
  • Increase oxygen to the brain
  • Relieve back pain
  • Experience a total body stretch
  • Increase strength

The mental/emotional benefits of inverting

  • Overcome deep-rooted fears
  • Experience joy, thrill and a healthy element of surprise
  • Increase self-confidence
  • Increase energy
  • Get a different perspective on tough issues
  • Increase concentration and focus

How to go upside down

There are several ways that you can accomplish this week’s Wellness Challenge ranging in varying degree of difficulty.

The following yoga poses all require equal parts strength, balance, willpower, confidence and an element of letting go. All are tons of fun. If you don’t get them on the first go, fret not. These are HARD. I highly suggest you work with a yoga instructor to master the elements of these poses before trying these on your own.

  • Handstand

handstand

  • Supported handstand on a wall
    yoga handstand on a wall

    Image credit: Anomalily

  • Traditional Headstand