Getting To The CORE: Why An Inversion Practice Connects Us To Ourselves
There is an ancient saying in Yoga- “Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodaha.” It comes from the Yoga Sutras written by Master Patanjali over 2,000 years ago. The Sutras are 196 “threads” that were written down to deliver the why of yoga in a written form versus the oral tradition.
This saying is a popular one to turn to (literally) when expressing the why of going upside down in our yoga practice. The translation: “Yoga stops the turning or fluctuations of the mind.” When we consciously decide to dive into our practice, we can start to tap into our body and stop relying so much on the mind. As we likely have experienced, the mind will play games with us and even lead us down paths to nowhere.
Paying attention to our center, our core, means we can embody our present moment. Right now, our world seems to be relying on everything that is outside of ourselves for the promise of happiness and contentment. We have experienced the rise of distraction and are seeing more and more disconnection from oneself. Even the days of writing in a journal, contemplating in nature, creating art, or sitting in complete stillness, appear to be the exception and not the norm. We have severed a beautiful connection to our own constitutions and are allowing for external communications to direct our paths-often not recognizing who we are, what we stand for, and what core values we hold close.
When we can do any practice that bring us to our present moment and body, we are mending those impacted communication pathways. We are returning to ourselves.
If this seems way beyond learning some fun inversions, it is! The yogis purposefully incorporated upside-down shapes so that we could learn to lead with our hearts and center instead of the head.
So why are inversions accessible and applicable for all? And what does “getting to the core” mean?
Turning ourselves upside down on purpose lends to resilience and flexibility.
Yoga is a relationship between you and you. The beauty of this relationship is that you are the driver of your own bus. You tailor the practice to whatever it is that you are needing more or less of each day. This practice was meant to be daily medicine. When we are meeting ourselves on our mats, we are conducting a little check-in. We are having a conversation with our bodies and asking them what it is they need and how we can effectively meet those needs.
Just like in our relationships, every day can look a little different. One day we may feel well-rested and energized to meet ourselves with dynamic movement. Other days, we may need more restoration which looks like stillness and long holds. The key is that we are constantly in need of both. It is important we get outside of our routines and comfort zones so that we can flex our resiliency muscles. The more we are open to change, the more flexible we can become. This flexibility can show up both in our physical bodies and in all other areas of our humanness.
As a yoga teacher, when I announce an opportunity for an inversion, I see students who will immediately look down or usher themselves into a child pose. Offering an inversion is an intimidating request and often it is because we have lost our trust.
Trust can be lost when we have encountered a physical injury that now impacts our daily movements. Trust can also be compromised when we have stopped “trying” for fear of the fall. Moving into an inversion and core practice slowly and with ease, can start to build that trust again. We don’t have to move fast or high for something to shift. We must, however, be willing to take the risk. Becoming familiar with risk can lead us into a resilience and flexibility that we may have lost touch with. Thus, our inversions can help restore those qualities.
Energetic movement of prana.
In yoga, everything is energy. Our breath, our movement, our intentions. When these are working together, we often refer to it as “flow state.” This free flow of life force that can inspire and catapult us to a euphoric state.
Again, the yogis knew that when we move our bodies, we are accessing some of the stuck areas which can lead to stagnancy and even complacency in our lives. Like loosening and moving the lymph in our bodies, we can start at our core to pulse out and filter whatever needs to move through.
Tapping head to earth in an inversion can redirect prana and allow for flow to happen in a different way. This keeps our life force free and non-binding. When we turn upside down, we are literally stepping out of our heads and back into our bodies. We are freeing ourselves of the “stuck-ness.”
The attempt makes us stronger.
Inversions make us stronger. When we first learned to walk, we had to continue to fall, get ourselves up and try again. This is law. Anytime we learn something new that challenges us we can try the bypass, or we can be humbled in our failed attempts. Either way, we are faced with choices. Be the spectator or be in the arena.
Not all shapes, ages, physical bodies, can get in every inversion. That may be a simple truth. But every person can attempt and try to their best abilities. Even the perceived smallest shift can make a big difference. When we step to the top of our mat with attention to core, we become stronger. When we step back on our mat utilizing core, we become stronger. It is the creation of a new habit which creates a new reality.
I have personally observed students with physical limitations, slowly work towards a traditional headstand or crow pose, and find success because they took their time and used their center. It can be a big game changer! When we explore what it means to move from our center and activate our bandhas (subtle energy locks in the body), we start to pay attention to our movements. This attention to our practice gives us space to inhabit our true selves. Feeling strength from the inside will only permeate and extend to our extremities. As it becomes apparent that we have gained power in our muscles, it will also be clear how powerful we always were. Thus, nothing to add, nothing to take away.
Moving from our center vs. the external.
The core is the epicenter energetically in the body. The idea of “trusting our gut” or having a “sixth sense” stem from the idea that our center is what leads us truthfully. Our center speaks to us all the time, we have just allowed the mind more of our attention.
When we actively choose to move from our core and even to turn upside down, we are connecting back to that feeling of our center. Our intuition muscle may even feel flexed and grow stronger knowing that we will stay grounded and rooted even when the world turns upside down.
Moving from our center means to root into what we know to be true. The internal (sensations, our breath, our gaze point), are all realities rooted in truth. The external (thoughts, beliefs, stories, and ego) are all outside of us and based on perceptions not necessarily rooted in truth.
In an ever-changing world, inversions help us realize how steady we can remain amidst the chaos around us. Standing firm like a mountain or riding the wave no matter what is happening in the depths below.
Returning to a state of play
Laughter and play are the fountain of youth! Our yoga practice is meant to ground, and it is also meant to keep us light! When we are pursuing shapes that push us outside of our comfort zones, it can feel (and look) silly.
We fall, we stumble, we laugh. We are light because we are in the attempt. Committing to an inversion practice keeps us humble as well as shows us our strength. For most of us, falling is something we try to avoid. When we learn how to catch ourselves, we tend to believe that more is possible on the other side of our fear. This can lead us in our lives off the mat as well!
Allowing for the fall, we begin to be light in our thoughts, light in our hearts and light on our feet. Catching ourselves. Trusting ourselves. Connecting with ourselves.
Having an inversion practice is certainly not a must to be a yogi. Yoga is a lifestyle. We practice this life always. Our physical practice is the embodiment and integration of what we are doing to be the best versions of ourselves. We all fall, we fail. We get up, we begin again. The beauty is not in the shape, it is in the attempt. This is what “getting to the core” is all about!
