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This is for yoga teachers. Is it bad to do inversion poses after not having done them for several weeks?

Jan 31, 2007 by Mscandia68 | Posted in Alternative Medicine

I took Iyengar lessons for years and used to do sarvangasana and sirsasana for 6-8 minutes each when my practice was regular. (under instructor supervision) Now my practice has been inconsistent and sometimes if I do inversions for 5-7 minutes after not having done them for a while I get little red dots on my forehead and on my face near my eyes. It's obviously from the blood pooling in my face. They go away after a day. Is it because I go into the pose too quickly or because I haven't done them regularly? When I was consistent it never happened. I always do a series of partially inverted poses and forward bends etc.(downward dog, hand stand etc.) to prepare before sirsasana(as my instructors taught me). Are the dots common or is it just a problem I have? How can I prevent it? Is it dangerous to not be consistent with the inversions? I don't have money to take lessons now and so I can't ask a teacher at a studio.

Thank you.

It sounds like you are doing the right prep poses before your inversions. Why don't you practice yoga without the inversions for a little while. After that you can maybe just introduce a half bridge and then maybe a plough and eventually bring yourself into sirsasana for a few breaths. If the dots don't appear then slowly increase the length of time holding the pose. I haven't heard its dangerous not to be consistent with inversions. Asana in sanskrit means "steadiness and ease". So long as you always hold your poses with this comfort and ease and not to the point of pain or discomfort you should be ok. If the dots come back, check with a health professional. If you have high blood pressure - inversions are contraindicated. Namaste :-)

BKS Iyengar Practicing

BKS Iyengar Practicing some backbends in Pune, India 1991.

Harmony Yoga of Ann Arbor: Martha Stewart's Yoga Show

by Karen Husby-Coupland

The audience was made up of yoga teachers and students, each with a yoga mat laid out so they could participate.    They were all encouraged to do their favorite poses a twosome times during the show and during commercial breaks.   Many of the audience were teachers from the Iyengar Yoga Establish -- there's a idiosyncrasy steadiness, supplement, and vibrancy in the poses of habituated Iyengar Yoga practitioners that you could see also in these teachers!   Many of the others had smashing poses as well, while a unite people looked like they were stigmatize new students (or they drill a category of yoga that I'm not at all well-known with!). During the show, James Murphy and Trudie Styler both led Martha (and audience) in a sampling of poses idiosyncrasy of their "elegance" of yoga.    James emphasized that Iyengar Yoga is meant to be at hand to all, so we start with elementary poses to wake up all parts of the solidity, and do a lot of regular poses to flourish stick-to-it-iveness, versatility, and firmness in preparation for more finicky poses later on.  Trudie led Martha through a few poses earmark of her "Warrior Yoga" video, poses we can do anywhere, without the privation to lug around props wherever we go.  We valid stress our mat and ourselves. Eddie and Sophie both gave inspiring demonstrations.   Eddie did a few "foot behind the brains" poses, including  Chakorasana , done with a very lull, temperate demeanor.   Sophie did a few colourful backbending poses, including a change of Ekapada Rajakapotasana  -- one legged royal pigeon sit (See her website, sophieherbert.com and click "Yoga" for a gauge of this position). I'm the P / doctor of Consistency Yoga in Ann Arbor, MI -- a comely spoonful studio on Ann Arbor's west side. I've been teaching Iyengar Yoga since 1999, and am certified at the Intermediary Minor 1 sincere. Prospering through this convert of becoming a superiority practitioner and fellow continues to be...

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