Practicing yoga inversions is an excellent method of stimulating the entire body while improving balance, coordination, and core strength. For any rising yogi, having the confidence to get your body vertically upside down and holding it there is a huge milestone along the path to enlightenment and better health. Inversions increase blood circulation and strengthen the lymphatic system, allowing for a better conditioned body. Furthermore, inverted meditation can prove incredibly fruitful, allowing deepened concentration and more connectivity.
Up must transcend down
Before attempting any inversions, it's important to train your body and be in good physical shape. If you desire more control while upside down, building upper body strength goes a long way. Experimenting with different types of push-ups tones your entire arms while emphasizing certain poses will mold the upper body.
When you're ready, begin with simple shoulderstands, both keeping yourself vertical and entering plow pose by allowing your feet to fall to the floor above your head. Once comfortable with these poses, it's recommended you familiarize yourself with crow and firefly poses to appreciate the upper body strength required before moving on to actual headstands.
Impatience invites failure
As soon as you think you can manage, put your mat against the wall and start with basic tripods and egg-shaped headstands. Using your elbows for balance, keep your feet tucked in to keep a lower center of gravity. If you can, extend your legs upwards and try to touch the wall as little as possible. Eventually, you should be able to hold this without the wall at all.
When your inverted balance begins to improve, challenge yourself with more complicated inversions such as a forearm stand or a full handstand. Never rush into inverted poses but instead build a solid foundation for your body. Patience will generate balance and balance will generate patience. Continual persistence will help the upside down yogi slowly master these inversions.
Keep on keeping on
As you progress down your yogic path, always find time to get upside down with a good inversion. Seeking more complicated poses will guarantee your perpetual growth and inspiration, helping define your body as what it is. If you need the extra challenge, investigate scorpion pose.
Namaste.
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