Before we dive into inversions, I want to do a little review of how I am teaching you to design your personal practice. First take a look again at this visual of the Mountain:

In the first modules so far you learned about the opening meditation, warm up, core work, and standing poses. The stronger standing warrior poses and standing balancing poses could be considered the peak of your home practice. (Other challenging poses for you that you want to practice, such as arm balances, could also be placed here. I’m going to offer a tutorial on arm balances in a later module.) Inversions and deeper backbends, which require the body to be open and the mind to be focused, are best placed after the peak of your practice once you are well warmed up. After these, you start to wind down and cool off with a more gentle and subtle stretching and closing practice. The following is a tutorial on foundational inversions, Viparita Karani (legs up the wall), Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), Halasana (Plow) and Sirsasana (Headstand). Check your manual for more info starting on page 101.

Inversions

Inversions are sometimes regarded as the most beneficial of all asanas. Take this with a grain of salt, however, as advanced inversions are not appropriate nor necessary for all people. If practicing headstand or shoulderstand cultivates your dedication, focus, and balance, then, go for it! If they cause you stress, headache, or physical tension, it's no big deal. Simply resting with your legs up the wall, or even on the couch, will bring you just as much benefit, or maybe even more, than struggling to achieve a more challenging balance.

Notes on Inverting During your Moon Cycle: It is not recommended to invert yourself while on the heaviest days of your moon (menstrual) cycle. This is for a couple reasons. One, it is important to let the blood flow downward in the grounding energy direction known as Apana Vayu. Messing with gravity during your moon cycle just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Your intelligent body is cleansing itself and releasing, let it flow out! Also, and maybe more importantly, menstruation time is a special time for a women to slow down, rest more, and turn inwards. You lose a lot of blood in this time which is why you might notice lower energy levels. Rather than ignore the cycles of nature and continue to go go go and do do do, try and schedule some time off for moon days, especially the first few heaviest days of your cycle. Take your entire practice and lifestyle down a notch, and practice tons of self-care and gentle activites like reading, restorative poses, meditation, and yoga nidra. This can be a really valuable time to process emotions and unresolved situations from the previous month.

Notes on Pregnancy: All inversions can be practiced by pregnant women who have already been practicing them before pregnancy. Practice them with intuition and care, giving them a rest until post partum if they don't feel right. If you haven't already been doing strong inversions before you were pregnant, do not start to practice these poses while pregnant. In your final trimester, consult with your health care provider about practicing inversions.