How to overcome your fear of inversions:

Alright, let’s talk about that F word. Not the one you might be thinking about. I’m talking about fear.

You know, that one thing that keeps you from taking flight.

Let’s grab it by the balls and face it, shall we? That way you’ll get closer to having some upside down fun.

So, here are my 5 tips on getting rid of it:

Face your fears -We hear this all this time. But what does that really mean in this context?

I want you to get real with yourself. What exactly is your worse case scenario in getting into inversions? Is it that you’ll fall and crack your back?

I want you to see how irrational this is. Speaking from experience, I’ll tell you straight up – your worse case scenario is least likely to happen. (Yeah, go ahead, you can read that line again.)

Now – it’s your turn to believe that too.

Take baby steps – Not all that confident in practicing inversions? No worries. Make it comfortable for you to start with. Practice on the sand by the beach. That will take the edge off for sure.

Need a sturdier surface? Practice on grass.

Then when you’re getting the hang of it, then practice on hardwood floors.

Know your exit route –  When you know what to do if you’re feeling off balance,  you’ll be more confident.

Take for example in handstand, you can either lower one leg down and cartwheel it out. Or if you’re banana backing, and have a full wheel (urdvha dhnurasana) practice –  you can always arch your back, and land on your feet. (I know that’s not for everyone. So your best bet is the first option. )

Practicing your exit routes is essential for muscle memory – do cartwheels, or practice full wheel.

Know your limitations – Know what part of your body is holding you back from getting into a handstand. Is it tight hamstrings, arm strength, core strength?

Know your weakness, and make a committed effort to turning it into your strength by practicing consistently. 

Visualize – Top athletes do this before that big moment – they see it happening in their mind before their physical body does it. This helps big time!

Before you practice, give yourself some time to ground down. Then vision yourself doing that perfect handstand.

Power it up by repeating a personal mantra. It can start with the words “I am” or “ I can.”

For example:

“I am strong and balanced. I can find that perfect handstand, on my own, in the middle of the room.”

Having said that, nothing beats getting one-on-one attention from an experienced teacher who can tell you exactly what you need to work on.

If you’re ready to take things to the next level, it would be my pleasure to help you. Check out my Yoga Page.

Keep practicing, and leave me a comment below – let me know what one action step are most excited about working on to up level your inversion practice?

Talk soon!