INVERT YOURSELF

ON THIS PAGE.
1. General inversion info
2. How to hang yourself from the sofa
3. How to hang a friend.

ALL INVERSION IS GOOD
The hand stand, head stand, shoulder stand, Inversion Therapy, hanging over anything you can find or simply bending forward to get your head below your heart....where it belongs! They all work to get the health advantages so choose the one that is easiest for you. For the best therapeutic benefits choose hanging forward comfortably over the arm or back of a sofa or from a sturdy table rather than a yoga balance so you can relax better and stay there longer.

Inversion is the classic yogic way of:
boosting the immune system
balancing the hormone system
helps with many gynaecological problems
balancing the nervous system
calming the mind
improving digestive problems
treating heart disease
medically proven to cure heart flutter
reducing pain and increasing movement
increasing oxygenation of the cells and organs
reducing mental and emotional stress
curing depression and neurosis
curing headaches and migraines
increasing the ability to memorise

Do not use inversion if:
you have ear, nose or head infections ( not really dangerous but uncomfortable )
hiatus hernia
risk of stroke ( family history of stroke, very high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight, over forty, smoker )
glaucoma or detached retina
bad travel sickness ( try it, mostly people do not get a reaction, just sometimes )
obesity ( sometimes the kidneys press on the adrenal glands and set of an adrenal reaction...not dangerous but uncomfortable )

Be sensible in your use of inversion. Take responsibility for your health and the new things you use to create health.

Inversion machines and devices.
Inversion machines and devices such as tilt tables, forward benders, gravity boots, ropes and pulleys, Yoga swings etc.. Many of these are helpful and you will find more information on the " Machines and Devices" Page.

How long do I need to stay inverted?
To help cure a disease.
Any amount of inversion, however short is helpful but if you want to get quick results then a little often is the way.
If you are suffering from discomfort or disease that can be helped by inversion then start with a minute or two to get used to it but move on up to getting really relaxed in the inverted position so that you notice your brain slowing down. If you want to cure headaches, migraines, depression, neurosis or hormone imbalance then I recommend doing 10 minutes morning and evening every day. During the day you can always bend over forward, as though you were tying your shoe laces, to get an extra inversion fix. Once you get to the place where your brain slows down and you get high on increased oxygen you will want to get the habit of inverting yourself several times a day.
Once you have achieved high level health and cured your ailments then a few minutes of inversion here and there during the day is adequate.

Persevere.
Some of the benefits of inversion can be felt immediately such as calmness, presence and cheerfulness. Some imbalances take longer to recover. Trying something for a short time and giving up, then saying it does not work, is a favourite tactic of our destructive victim strategy. Please don't do this with inversion. It has worked for thousands of years and it still works now, but, it needs some patience and perseverance. Some conditions will respond quickly, others need more time.

HOW TO HANG YOURSELF AND THRIVE

THE SOFA OR ARMCHAIR METHOD.
Hang forwards over the arm of your sofa ( or bed if it is high enough ). You can also hang over the back of your sofa if it is heavy enough not to tip. This is better as you get more vertical. Raise the height of the arm or back of the sofa with bolsters or cushions. Put a pillow or cushion on the ground to rest your head on. Standing next to the arm or back of the sofa, put your hands on the floor by the cushion, lift one leg up and over the arm or back of the sofa and then the other one.

Let your body slowly down so that your head rests on the pillow. Make sure you are resting on your thighs and not on your tummy.

Make yourself comfortable, have some relaxing music on, take a deep breath in and let go, just like when you sigh. Rest your arms and shoulders, make them comfortable, perhaps hands behind your head and elbows to the side of your head. Every time you breath out imagine you are gently sighing and releasing, not only the breath but all the old tensions in your body and mind.

At first you will be disturbed by thoughts and emotions and perhaps some physical sensations of discomfort. Watch all these reasons for not doing the inversion and have a good laugh at your ego trying to talk you out of doing something beneficial for yourself. After a while you will experience more calm in the mind and even a sense of bodylessness and comfort. Your thoughts will be slower and different. Enjoy. Every time you let the breath go, let go more in the body, perhaps there is still some tension somewhere, let it go.

Perhaps you need to set your alarm to 20 minutes.

HOW TO INVERT A FRIEND.

This method does need a bit of practice and you need to look after your knees so start by hanging someone who is lighter than you and work upwards. The basic technique is to find a safe space where, if the person on your leg falls they will have a soft landing and not hit anything hard or sharp.

Find a stool, strong box or chair that is at the height where, when your foot is on it, your thigh is parallel to the ground. Bring you friend to the leg on the stool, the side away from the other leg. Get them to bend forward and as they do so lean over their back, put your arms both sides of their thighs and ease them over your leg until they are hanging all the way down to the floor with their thighs....not their tummy, on your thigh, close as you can to your hips. Relax as soon as possible. Hold their legs lightly with one hand to stop them tipping. Then you can massage down the back with one hand. If you get the balance right you can use two hands. Have a look at the pictures and make up your own session.

Bring them back up by leaning forward towards their shoulders. Hold them under the arm-pits and pull them gently and slowly back up. Sit them in a chair or on the floor straight away without letting go of them. If they have low blood pressure they could faint....so be careful and have fun. This should sort out an aching back or a hangover. Can be used for headache and migraine.