Yoga Pose of the Month – Inversion Poses

Inversion Poses for Ultimate Brain Power

by deZengo

The concept behind inversion poses is expressed in yoga texts as viparita karani. Viparita karani is translated as meaning ‘opposite process’. This simply means facilitating a different perspective. From the purely physical point of view, this different perspective in inversion poses is literal – in terms of looking at the world from a different physical viewpoint – as well as involving the body being supported in a different way.

This month we examine the power of inversion asanas with increasing brain power and expanding our mind. The Shoulder Stand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana) and the Plow Pose (Halasana) are two wonderful inversion poses that almost everyone can do, within a short amount of time.

The Practice

Inversion poses involve any asana that lifts the feet above the head. Other inversion poses that are well known Include half shoulder stand (viparita karani) and as we highlighted last month, Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Syanasana). But even lying on the floor with your legs on a chair is an inversion pose and will give your body similar benefits without the stress or fatigue.

There are so many health benefits for the mind / body / spirit from incorporating a yoga practice – from flexibility, strength, peace, confidence, balance, healing to self awareness. One of the many aspects that makes Yoga so unique is it’s incorporation of inversions.

Inverting your body can be a wonderful precursor to inverting your way of thinking. Benefits are plentiful! But as yoga is more than simply physical exercises, there are other processes that are assisted. A lot of yoga is designed to help us change mental habits as well as physical habits. Through increasing our ability to adapt to change, instead of being stuck in old habitual responses, we increase our capacity for growth and transformation. This applies in all areas of our lives.

There is a theoretical concept in yoga about why inversion postures help. Ayurveda considers that many of the body’s impurities are in the lower abdomen. When we raise our feet above the head, gravity is assisting us to move these impurities towards what the Ayurvedic system calls agni, or ‘fire’. Agni particularly relates to our ‘digestive fire’, and is thus located above our lower abdomen.

Through being upside down, and by using the deep and slow breathing typical of yoga, we help ‘burn off’ the impurities that were previously stuck.

Benefits

Enhances Concentration
Provides a Break for the Heart
Stimulates Endocrine System.
Calms the mind
Strengthens the core
Increases Body Awareness.
Helps with Circulation.