Confessions of a Yoga Instructor: Inversions, Detox, and Passing Gas?
By Erica Harris
This issue I will be answering some of my frequently asked questions by my students. If you have a question, let me know and I will do my best to answer it!
Q: What is an inversion?
A: One of the most liberating poses in yoga is the inversion. An inversion can be thought of as going upside down and broken into two categories: passive inversion and full inversion. A passive inversion are positions in which the heart is higher than the head, such as Downward Facing-Dog. A full inversion are positions in which the feet are above the head, such as headstand, shoulder stand, and legs-up-the-wall. My advice is trying a passive inversion first. Downward Facing-Dog is a frequency used pose in yoga. Starting by sitting on your knees begin reaching your hands in front of you. Next, curl your toes and begin allowing your hips to float up to the ceiling. Allow your heels to fall (doesn’t matter if your heels can touch the ground here), your head remains floating between your shoulder blades, and actively push the ground away with your hands. Your body should resemble an inverted -V. In this pose you are allowing your heart to be higher than the head. You may feel the sensation of blood rushing out of the head. You may also modify this pose by dropping to the knees. If you don’t have a current shoulder stand practice, or if you have neck injuries, recent stroke, pregnancy or glaucoma that may prevent this pose, a good way to still get an inversion is Legs-Up-The-Wall*(Always check with your doctor before staring any excerise program) Almost anyone can do this pose and reap its many benefits! Simply come close to a wall, bring your legs up the wall (trying to keep your tail-end close to the wall). So, why is it beneficial to invert? Some yogis (those that practice yoga) report better sleep, focus, digestion, or elevated spirit. In an inversion the movement reverses the normal flow of blood, pulling fluid out of your feet and legs, a special gift to yourself if you stand or sit all day. Some people ask me if its okay to do an inversion while menstruating. The answer is different from one yoga instructor to another. It also may differ from one woman to another. I personally, avoid or limit my time in inversions while menstruating. Some women may experience cramping in inversions while menstrating-so as always, listen to your body and honor it.
Can yoga detox? What positions can I do?
A. Yoga, sweat, and vigorous excerise is detoxing your body. I love to do twists. Twists can release tension in the spine, relieve back aches, menstrual cramping, and massage our internal organs. My favorite is the supine spinal twist. Start by lying on your back. Next, allow your hands to come to a ‘T’ position (palms facing down). Next, allow both knees to bend and fall towards the right side of the body. If it feels good, you may also want to look over the opposite shoulder. Hold for at least 10 breaths and repeat on the opposite side. For other twisting postures try searching for “Yoga twisting poses”.
What do I do if I pass gas in yoga class?
A. It is unavoidable. At one point you will find yourself needed to release a body gas in class. I remember the first time: we had just finished doing many different types of twisting positions and our instructor slowed things down by having us come into Shoulder Stand. My feet were straight up above my head, my abdomen was engaged, and I felt it coming on. I struggled to hold it hoping it would go away. As the room became uncomfortable silent a surprising sound came from my rear-end! I started to turn red and couldn’t think of anything to say but ‘sorry’! No one laughed, made me feel embarrassed, and class moved on. So what to do if you find yourself in this situation? Its up to you. Its a very natural process that has somehow become taboo. Yoga will stimulate and detox your body, inside and out. This can happen through sweat (yep, you can work a sweat in yoga), passing gas, or eliminating. So feel free to giggle, apologize (although you don’t need to!), or just pretend the most natural of things occurred and do nothing.
