New Yoga Poses

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.

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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.