POW! Pose of the Week

This week's pose: Dolphin - because it's fun to be inverted!

As the Calendar year draws to a close, and in the spirit of the craziness of the coming days, I thought it would be nice to do a series on inversions. Inversions are any poses that turn the down-side up. Inversions improve mental focus, and improve stamina of the upper body. They also have a positive effect on hormones and the lymphatic system, sending the body fluids "against the flow". There are SO many inversions and they bring great benefits, so I have several weeks' worth of material to share...

The anatomical focus of Dolphin pose (another pose with no sanskrit name) is the upper back, and it has multiple benefits. The first is that it's an inversion that I can actually do! It relieves headache and fatigue, the hallmark benefits of most inversions, it stretches the shoulders and improves digestion! PS - check out the picture. Notice the lady is doing Dolphin at what looks to be about 3pm, since you can see the sun setting. Is anyone else getting bummed out by the lack of afternoon daylight these days???

anywayTo find yourself in the Dolphin inversion, it's easiest to start in table, with your hands underneath your shoulder and your hips above your knees. Slowly transition forward onto your forearms. Next, curl your toes under, just as you would for downward facing dog, but keep your forearms on the ground. Lengthen your tailbone up and away from your pelvis, reaching for the sky with your hip bones. You can keep your knees soft or straighten your legs as is comfortable for your hamstrings.

For full inversion benefits, try to hold the pose for up to a minute. This will give the body fluids a chance to wash towards the head and reenergize the brain.

**Please be careful with all inversions. Like all yoga poses, if done improperly, the risks may outweigh the benefits. However with inversions, since you are going against your natural balance and orientation, there's an increased risk of maintaining a posture improperly.

Inhale to energize, exhale to calm.