Yogis! I am delighted to bring you something fun, because #funisthebest. We’re looking at all things arm balances and inversions, and I’m bringing you my tips and tricks for the common, and not-so-common, ways to get off your feet.
Are you ready to flip upside-down?!
So why in the hell do us yogis even like inverting and balancing on our hands? Like I said before – mainly because it’s fun to see what your body can do. There can be a million reasons as to why someone would want to move their body in this way, and I have my favorite reasons for getting myself and other into positions like this.
Ready to dive into my tips and tricks for arm balances and inversions? Fill out the form below and I’ll send you the workbook!
Want to start back with the yoga basics? Be sure to check out this post here to get the low-down!
The Physical Body
Obviously, getting yourself into these inversions and arm balances requires a helluva lot of body strength. And total body strength at that. You’re engaging all areas of the arms, shoulders, through the core and finally engaging the legs and feet.
It’s important to find balance in the physical body, because it feeds into our mental and emotional balance. Hence why those endorphins are important!
From sitting at a desk all day to running wild in the mountains, we can all benefit from strengthening other areas of our bodies. And what better way to do so by having fun along the way?
The Mental Game
Sometimes doing weird things in yoga is scary. It requires our complete focus to not fall on our face.
And that’s a good thing.
This complete focus allows us to get out of our daily world, our email inboxes and monkey minds, to simply focus on our breath and what our body is doing. Because if we don’t, we’re falling over!
By practicing something new, you also allow yourself to be a beginner. Welcome this into your life, because as we get older, we rarely let ourselves be true beginners at anything. And because you have to be a beginner before you can be anything else, this step in your yoga practice is the perfect way to get out of your routine and try something new. Studies also show that this keeps your mind and memory sharp.
Face your fears and challenge yourself to literally flip your perspective. You got this.
Off the Mat
I’m a firm believer that working on being a beginner, pushing your comfort zone edges, finding dedication and focusing on what’s in front of you finds a way to transpire in your life off the yoga mat.
That skill you’ve been too scared to start? By allowing yourself to be a beginner in something else, you instill the mentality that being a beginner at something, isn’t a bad thing after all. Maybe it wasn’t so scary to take the first step, even if you were ‘bad’ at whatever you’ve been afraid to try. Open your mind here so you can be open in other areas of your life.
Or maybe you’ve been struggling to stick with positive habits you’ve been hoping to bring into your life. Balancing on our hands and head requires a lot of work and consistency (aka habits).
There are a lot of ways you can practice inversions and arm balances. The ten that we’re working with are below! Some you may recognize, and some may think ‘what in the (literal) flying hell’?
But remember, come back to the open, beginner mind because it does transcend into the rest of your life.
Below are the ten arm balances and inversions we’ll be playing with. If you want my tips and tricks, remember to fill out the form below and I’ll send it right to you!
- Baby Crow
- Baby Grasshopper
- Crow
- Side Crow
- Hurdler
- Elephant Trunk
- Eight Angle
- Supported Headstand
- L-Forearm Stand
- L-Handstand
