Yoga inversions are yoga poses that put you into an inverted position. This means a position where your heart is at a higher level than your head. There are some intermediate and advanced yoga poses that you can work toward doing.
Camel Pose
A popular yoga inversion and one that is at the intermediate level is the camel pose. Adding this inversion to your yoga practice has quite a few benefits, including strengthening your back, helping improve your balance and flexibility, and improving the strength of your knees.
When you do the camel pose, you open your chest and bend your back. You should be kneeling on the mat with your knees hip-width apart. You will reach backward, bending your back and head to where your hands touch your feet behind you. This pose looks simple, but it takes more flexibility than you might think.
Handstand
The next inversion pose is a handstand, which is another popular and common inversion to do. While the handstand looks complicated, it simply relies on proper balance and strength. It can take some time to learn how to do a proper handstand, but once you do, you might want to do it every day. With a handstand, your entire body is upside down. This position can bring you so much calmness. Your body feels rejuvenated once you are right-side up again. It is easiest to learn a handstand while leaning against a wall to have that extra stability.
Charging Scorpion
This is a variation on the scorpion pose that you can start practicing. It is toward the advanced level as far as inversions go. With the charging scorpion pose, you are resting all your weight on your forearms, similar to a standard scorpion pose. Again, you will be completely upside down with your head pointing down. You will use your abdominal muscles to support your body as you lift your legs. Keep both knees bent. One leg will be toward the front of your body, and the other leg will be toward the back of your body. It looks similar to a scorpion when it is about to attack its prey.
Inversions often look challenging, but they all begin with other yoga poses that gradually prepare you for these upside-down inversions. The stronger and more flexible you are, the easier they will become.