Guide · Reading
Inversions: family introduction
Inversions place the hips above the head. Most are learnt with a teacher.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Practical guidance
Inversions bring the hips above the heart and head: Adho Mukha Svanasana in a mild way, and Sarvangasana, Halasana and Sirsasana fully. In the Ashtanga practice they come in the finishing sequence.
The weight in shoulderstand rests on the shoulders and upper arms, never the neck. The weight in headstand is carried mostly by the forearms. Both depend on strength built over time, which is why they are learnt with a teacher.
Who should take care
Do not begin inversions with high or low blood pressure. With neck problems, use padding under the shoulders and learn them with a teacher. Never turn the head while inverted.
Related
Sarvangasana
Shoulderstand
Shoulderstand. The body raised vertically, supported on the shoulders and upper arms.
Halasana
Plough pose
Plough pose. From shoulderstand, the feet lowered to the floor behind the head.
Sirsasana A
Headstand A
Headstand. Inverted on the forearms and crown, hands cupped round the back of the head.
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 5, family table; cautions rewritten