In Yoga we did some new poses and one of my favorites was the Inversion Pose. This pose was fun to do because I wore my heart rate monitor to class so I could view my stats. The inversion pose really drops the heart rate quite a bit! That’s because you have your feet in the air so your heart isn’t working as hard to move the blood throughout the entire body.
The instructor said this is a great pose for when you are on your feet all day. Inversions are typically seen as a hand stand or a forearm stand or a plow. Inversions are great for balance and concentration, as well as circulation. I think for sure this is a great pose for after a long run when you want to move that blood out of your legs. I used to take ice baths after my long runs, but I stopped torturing myself with those baths. I will try this approach to see if it helps with recovery.
It may not look relaxing but it was actually very relaxing. I stayed in this position for our end of class ritual of 5 minutes of quiet reflection while the instructor helps us to focus on every part of our body one at a time. Bringing our focus inward and to complete relaxation. The benefits of this pose are the following:
- – Eases anxiety and stress
- – Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and insomnia
- – Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause
- – Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
- – Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
- – Relieves lower back pain
- – Calms the mind
As I continue to take these yoga classes I hope to learn new poses. I checked out inversion poses online and found a great web site for beginners to try inversion poses such as headstands and wall stands.