Casual conversations with a yogi…

Ready to drop into a deep state of relaxation? One of the quickest and most potent ways to instantly untangle your body and rest your mind is with a yoga inversion. This pose belongs to a group of inversions that are known as Viparita Karani, which literally translates as “doing an inversion”.

This pose is effortless and simple to do – it’s possibly the easiest way to go upside down with little to no strain on your system. It’s a dose of time out, while a whole lot of goodness is going on. Plus, you’ll feel the benefits long after you come out of it. Best of all, you don’t need to have done any yoga poses prior to this one to get into it.

When I was working at a fashion magazine and spending hours sitting at my computer, this yoga inversion pose was my savior. It’s a no frills, no mat required pose – just a willingness to get on the ground and rest your legs over your chair. The longer you rest in this pose the deeper your relaxation.

Tips for Viparita Karani

I recommend no less than five minutes and anything upwards of 20 minutes should get you ready for levitation (well, sorta). An eye pillow for an extra touch of sweetness will assist in letting go of external distractions.

Once in the pose, take some deep breaths and let yourself settle into a quiet rest. The beauty here is that all the magic is happening just from lifting the legs above your heart. On average we spend six to eight hours horizontal a day and up to 18 hours upright or sitting. Rarely is any of that time spent upside down. Which is really a shame!

Going upside down is the quickest way of turning your focus inward quietly without your body and mind interrupting and pulling you out of it. The drain of fluids to the heart and brain is what refreshes the nervous system. This will improve your circulation, assist with digestion, even help with insomnia. Yep, I have totally done this in the middle of the night and it was a game changer to turning my insomnia around.

Going upside down shifts your perspective on emotional issues and alleviates fatigue. I can’t recommend this one enough. You can opt for legs over the sofa, legs wide apart or even feet pressing together with the thighs opened wide. Another approach is to take the legs up the wall. Anytime upside is a great time for a reset.

Two thumbs up for this one. Let me know how you go with it. Reach out to me if you’d like more guidance with legs up the wall. That version requires further instructions.

#yoga #legsup #yogaforbettersleep #yogaimprovescirculation

As published in The Vegan Company.
I am a contributing writer for The Vegan Company.