I’m feeling the urge to go upside down this week. Inversions, I mean.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with inversions, but somehow, they have a way of enticing me to return to them in my practice.

What’s An Inversion?

An inversion is any posture in which the head is below the heart. The archetypal inversions might be Sirsasana (Headstand), Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Setubandha Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand), and, at a pinch(!), Pincha Mayurasana (Peacock).

The (Upside Down) Fountain of Youth

Some schools of medieval yoga believed that Amrita (one translation being ‘the nectar of immortality’) was lost as Ojas (the essence of all vital fluid) dripped downwards from the head and destroyed in the fire of the body. Hatha Yogis thought that inverting the body was one way to protect Ojas from escaping, retaining the precious nectar and prolonging vitality.

In old yoga texts, there are descriptions of slightly objectionable ways to contain the Ojas and preserve this life force energy. The goriest I remember hearing about was one where the yogi would cut their tongue repeatedly to shove parts of it down the throat to try to block Ojas from leaking down from the head. I don’t suppose that many people practise such esoteric activities anymore. Inversions, on the other hand… don’t sound so painful in comparison!

Some yogis, including modern ones, still swear by inversions’ youth-giving properties. Flipping upside down certainly changes our immediate physiology. Fluid redistribution might well benefit circulation and lymphatic drainage. Still, it’s not precisely clear if or whether there are medical benefits in the long term.

King of Asana

Whether or not inversions hold the key to the fountain of youth, I can think of many reasons why they are well worth a look. Like every posture we craft in Asana, each has its unique complexity and flavour.

Let’s take the so-called King of Asana, Sirsasana, or Headstand. What can we expect from this most exhilarating pose?

1. Challenge. Nailing a headstand is the ultimate high and can also prove a formidable challenge in one's journey in Asana. The moment you first manage to balance is one you won’t forget.

2. Focus. Forcing you to be supremely present, balancing on the head empties the mind of superfluous thought like nothing else.

3. Humility. While learning headstand, you can be brought down to earth quicker than you’d like, many times over. Inversions teach us to respect gravity and be honest about our abilities.

4. Perspective. The upside-down change of scenery gives us an experience of deliberate disorientation. The shift of perspective builds proprioceptive sensitivity for overall balancing (whether on feet, hands, or head).

5. Courage. A degree of fearlessness is required to foist yourself on your head and neck and overcome the fear of falling.

6. Skill. Contrary to popular practice, you can’t just throw yourself up and hope for the best (well, actually, you can; I did exactly that for over ten years). Alignment and technique cannot be bypassed if we wish to avoid injury and practice inversions sustainably.

7. Patience. All good things come to those who wait. The journey to a controlled, steady Headstand can't be bought, but you can earn it through patient effort and repetition.

8. Culmination. Inversions embody a coming together of all the work we do in our regular upright Asana practice—actions of the core, back, hips, shoulders, feet, etc., in just the right proportions, working simultaneously. Alongside physical skill, a presence of mind and steady breath work in concert to realise wholeness in this pose.

Headstand - truly, a pose of integration.

I must admit, due to injury (maybe the years of throwing myself up), I avoided Headstand for ages until I felt ready to rediscover this intriguing pose again. This pose need not be a challenge you necessarily must undertake, but it’s such an interesting proposition if you do. A pose which invites you to explore your relationship with it and teaches as much whilst working towards it as in the final balance itself.

Put Your Feet Up

We don’t always need to balance on our heads to invert.

Lest we forget, many poses we commonly practise are inversions, too. Downward-facing Dog is an inversion, as is Uttanasana (standing forward fold), Prasarita Padottanasana (wide-legged forward fold), or Setubandha (Bridge pose).

And how about putting our feet up into that sweet restorative gem - Legs up the wall?

There's never a bad time to put our feet up 😌

Inversions refresh and rejuvenate as we switch our perspective and go upside down. They have a special something about them. From the aliveness we enjoy in a Headstand to the deep, cascading relaxation of Viparita, the sweet nectar is there for the taking.

Let’s practise.