Facing what dogs you

I have major resistance to inversions. It's a kinder way of saying that they are not my favorite poses to do or to teach. There, I've said it. It's out in the open and I can't take it back. But let me back track. What's an inversion, you might be asking? In yoga, it's a pose like Handstand, Headstand, Shoulderstand, or Forearmstand. Basically, flip yourself upside down, and you've got yourself an inversion.

Inversions are my nemesis. They've dogged me my entire yoga practicing and teaching life. Try as I might, I just couldn't kick my legs and flip up and have my arms or wrists suppport me. Was it weak shoulders or back? Was it that my core wasn't strong enough to keep me engaged in the pose? Or was it my incredible fear of falling over and breaking my neck? Uhhh...yes, all of the above. So, I limited my inversions . I was just not the yogi who could freeform into headstand in the middle of the room. I couldn't do it and told myself that, repeatedly.

But as I'm reading Stephen Copes, "The Wisdom of Yoga," he says, this..."in yoga, what you practice, becomes stronger." Well, Duh...no wonder I couldn't do inversions, I didn't practice them enough to make them stronger.

For months I've been practicing more poses to strengthen my arms, my abs, shoulders, etc. And coming at it with a perspective of fun instead of fear, I'm finally able to do forearmstand and headstand against the wall and moving my legs off. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but at least I can get my butt over my head and invert and not have a complete panic attack doing it. It's actually, dare I say it, fun and I'm beginning to reap the benefits.

Namaste,

Susan