Featured Pose: Easy Inverted Pose

by Nina (with a little help from Baxter)

Supported inverted poses are some of the most wonderful yoga poses for reducing stress. By physically inverting yourself (having your heart higher than your head), you employ the natural physiology of your body (the mechanisms that control your blood pressure—see Blood Pressure: Talking About Baroreceptors and Yoga) to invoke the relaxation response. However, in order for an inverted pose to work its magic, you not only need to be able to do it, but it also must be comfortable for you. If you’re in pain or even just uncomfortable you’ll be slightly stressed, so the relaxation response won’t be triggered and you won’t be able to relax completely.

So what’s a person with a bad lower back (a problem for Supported Bridge pose and standing forward bends with head support), tight hamstrings (a problem for Legs Up the Wall pose), or tight shoulders or neck issues (problems for Supported Shoulderstand, Half Plow pose, and Supported Downward-Facing Dog pose) supposed to do? And what about people who are afraid of being upside down or have been recommended to avoid it due high blood pressure or heart disease?

The answer, my friends, is today’s pose, which Baxter and I like to call Easy Inverted pose. Resting your calves on a chair with a support under your pelvis puts your body into a slightly inverted position, so the blood flows from your legs down toward your heart (the opposite of standing upright). So Easy Inverted pose is a very calming inversion, which is also very restful for your leg muscles. (In fact, I find it so effective that I can feel myself start to relax just thinking about it!) And, yet, Easy Inverted pose is so comfortable and accessible, almost everyone can do it (hence the name). If the support under your pelvis irritates your lower back, you can simply do the same pose without it. And one of my favorite MDs (that would be Baxter, of course) assures me that this is a safe pose, too, even for people who have controlled high blood pressure, managed coronary artery disease, or glaucoma (see below for a few cautions).

You can practice this pose on its own for stress management or as an alternative to Savasana at the end of any longer practice. When I’m teaching supported inversions, this is my “back pocket” pose. When a student can’t get comfortable in any of the other poses, I pull this one out for him or her and so far have always found success! I hope you do, too.

Instructions: To set up for the pose, find a chair either with an opening through the back you can put your legs through or one your can turn sideways to let your feet dangle off of. Place a blanket or folded yoga mat on the chair on the chair seat to soften the surface. (If your legs are long, you may need to place extra padding on the chair seat.) Next, if you are not practicing on a carpet, you may wish to set a yoga mat on the floor in front of the chair (we don’t show that in the photo). Then stack one or two blankets folded length-wise about a foot or so from the chair legs (you’ll have to experiment for your body type to find the exact length). This will support your pelvis when you are in the pose. Finally have another blanket, towel or thin pillow nearby to put under your head.

To get into the pose, sit sideways on your pelvis support. Then, using your hands on the floor to stabilize yourself, swing your calves up onto the chair seat. Finally, with your legs resting on the chair seat, lie back and place your head under your head (but not under your neck or shoulders). Allow your arms to rest on the floor, slightly away from your body.

Make sure that your pelvis is close enough to the chair seat so your calves can actually rest comfortably on the chair seat (they should be completely relaxed). But be far enough away from the chair so your thighs are at a good angle (not perpendicular with the floor). Now close your eyes and allow your body to relax. (If you wish, you can put an eye pillow or silk scarf over your eyes as the final touch.)

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and move your feet to the edge of the chair seat. Then slowly, slowly, slowly roll over onto your right side for a couple of breaths. From there, slowly, slowly, slowly use your hands to push yourself up to a seated position, leaving your head for last.

Cautions:  Baxter says that although this is a generally safe pose, if you are on blood thinners or tend to have blood clots, don’t stay in the pose more than 5 to 10 minutes. For lower back problems, instead of using the lift under your pelvis, try turning the blanket the opposite away to support your torso, from your tailbone up through your head.

CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU

by Nina Zolotow

It was an idyllic Sunday afternoon in Seattle, warm weather, blue skies, and the company of old friends. During a lull in the conversation, J asked me, “Nina, could you show me that yoga pose you told me about, the one for stress that you said anyone can do? And could you repeat what you told me about the relaxation response and how the pose helps trigger that?”

As I did my best to demonstrate Savasana (Relaxation Pose) with legs on a chair using the lawn and the outdoor furniture as my yoga props, I reflected on how many times I get asked questions like these by my friends. And while I quite enjoy explaining the basics to both friends and students, I’ve always wished there was a place where I could send people to look up the poses and practices when they are on their own. My hope now is for this blog to become that place, an ongoing resource of practices and information that I personally have found helpful over the years.

Path in the Mist by Brad Gibson

As a long-time yoga practitioner, I’ve been using my home practice for years to help me address my changing physical and emotional needs. I’ve learned to ask myself each day, “What is the best practice for me today? Do I need to stretch to make up for a day of hiking or do I need to do backbends to make up for day spent in front of a computer? Do my problematic shoulders need attention? Or do I need to do a calming practice to restore my equanimity after a stressful day?” When my mother was dying of cancer, I was able to spend a lot of time with her. But I also understood how important it was for me to stay strong and steady for the long haul. So after each visit with her, I would come home and spend 20 minutes in my go-to relaxation pose, Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall pose). I can’t begin to tell you how helpful this was for me (and I’m someone who in the past had terrible problems with anxiety and stress).

But what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. We all have different bodies, personalities, and needs. That’s why I’m hoping to make this blog very interactive, a place where you ask questions and request information, and where we can all learn together.

For those who are interested in trying the relaxation pose I was demonstrating to my friend in Seattle, here is a short video that’s pretty good. I have one quibble with it, however. If you pay close attention you’ll notice that although the teacher first says that the folded blanket should be at the base of the chair legs, she moves the blanket away from the chair legs just she goes into the pose. Do what she does not what she says, people! The blanket should be 6 to 12 inches from the chair legs, so that the angle of your thighs when you are in the pose is easy and comfortable, and so your calves can release and relax on the chair seat. If you find the blanket under your pelvis irritates your back, you can do the pose without it.

What I love about this pose (which goes by many names but which Baxter and I are calling “Easy Inverted Pose”) is that unlike most of the other inverted poses, which can be difficult or uncomfortable for some practitioners, almost everyone can do this one comfortably.

Tomorrow we'll have our first Q&A.