ONE MORE TIME IN UPSIDE DOWN

I hate inversions.

Ok, so I have established that in my earlier blog.

But really, I cannot help it.

Everytime I start doing inversions, my head starts to get all fuzzy, my heart skips a beat, my hands start to get clammy and a nagging voice in my heads starts shrieking in panic: “I don’t want to fall!”

So, yes…inversions are not exactly my particular area of strength in my yoga practice. 

Flexibility – yes.  And yeah, arm balances I can still manage to pull off on my good days.  But inversions?!?

And so, it was quite ironic as I found myself in Arun’s Upside Down class last Friday – a class that, as the name implies, basically focuses on just that – INVERSIONS.  And as I entered the studio, I couldn’t help but as myself…

“What the hell am I doing here?” 

But I knew the answer anyway to my own rhetorical question.  I was there because just like everything else, there are some things which just take a bit more practice and effort from our end.  And this was clearly one of those for me. 

And so there I was… feeling awkward and all... right in front of the room. 

And I almost backed out (I had a sudden urge to just bolt right out of the room!)…but I stayed…yes, through the entire 1.5hour class!  And yes, I stayed on (on my head, to be more precise) throughout the 10minute headstands.  And yes, I stayed, through the handstands and the variations.

Hey, I could not do the other poses, nor could I completely tear myself away from the wall, but I was there and I tried.  Maybe that’s enough for now…

And as I ended the class and told Arun how much I really don’t like inversions (I figured my yoga teacher might not like my using the word “hate” to describe inversions :p), he left me with one simple word – practice.  And that’s really all there is to it. 

And somehow, it made sense.  “Practice- all is coming” – as Sri Pattahbi Jois so aptly put it.

And so I will find myself attending more of these inversion classes when time permits.  And while I do not exactly look forward to them, I no longer fear them.  I think that’s a pretty damn good start.

And by the way, I have started doing headstands in my sleep.

And somehow, dreaming has made it easier in the waking.