Yoga Inversions

Adho Mukha Svanasana

The most practiced pose in modern yoga: an upside-down V that stretches the whole back body while building shoulder and arm strength. Simple to attempt, surprisingly hard to do well.

Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward dog with one leg lifted behind you. It adds a hip and hamstring stretch, a light balance challenge, and is the usual doorway into lunges and standing poses.

Viparita Karani

Lie on your back with your legs resting up a wall. The gentlest inversion there is — no strength, no balance, no neck load — and one of the most reliably restful poses in all of yoga.

Ardha Pincha Mayurasana

Downward dog on your forearms. It demands more shoulder openness and strength than down dog, which is exactly why it is the standard preparation for forearm stand and headstand.

Salamba Sarvangasana

An inversion balanced on the shoulders and upper arms with the hands supporting the back. Traditionally a calming, cooling pose — but it flexes the neck strongly, so careful setup with blankets matters more here than in almost any other pose.

Halasana

From shoulderstand, the legs fold overhead until the toes reach the floor behind your head. A deep stretch for the entire back body and neck — and one where blanket support under the shoulders really matters.

Karnapidasana

The folded-up cousin of plow: knees bend beside the ears, gently closing off outside sound. A deep, inward-turning shape that asks for a very flexible spine and a well-supported neck.

Salamba Sirsasana

A full inversion balanced on the forearms and crown of the head. Rewarding, but genuinely advanced: it loads the neck, and it deserves months of patient preparation at a wall, ideally with a teacher.

Pincha Mayurasana

A full inversion balanced on the forearms — more stable than handstand at the base, but demanding real shoulder strength and openness. Expect a long, humbling apprenticeship at the wall.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Balancing fully inverted on the hands — the most demanding balance in the inversion family. Strong wrists, strong shoulders, and hundreds of patient attempts at a wall are the honest price of admission.

Urdhva Padmasana

Lotus pose folded into shoulderstand, from the Ashtanga finishing sequence. It requires a secure, well-supported shoulderstand and comfortable full lotus — both, without compromise, before combining them upside down.

Pindasana

From upward lotus, the folded legs lower toward the face and the arms wrap around them — a tightly curled shape from the Ashtanga finishing sequence. It stacks lotus, deep spinal flexion, and an inversion all at once, so nothing about it should be rushed.

Vrschikasana

Forearm stand with a deep backbend, the feet arching toward the head like a scorpion's tail. One of the most demanding shapes in yoga — it should only be explored after forearm stand away from the wall is genuinely comfortable, and ideally with a teacher.