Yoga Inversions and my Humble Opinion

I am prepping for a "beginner's yoga" series and practically everyone wants to know if we will be doing headstand.  I don't think so!  Why?  Well, everyone has an opinion, and mine is that it's really not for everyone, and I don't feel it's a good pose to introduce in a setting with 10-50 people.  

It's fine if you are ready for it and on a one on one class or a specific workshop on inversions.  But truth be told; many people should NOT be doing headstand that are doing it.  This is hugely controversial, as many very prominent yogis say its a very important pose that people should be doing.  I respectfully disagree.  

Por que?  BECAUSE the truth is that not everyone knows whether or not they have a neck problem.  And your yoga teacher doesn't know more about your body and your medical istory than you do.  So better to be cautious than really mess up your neck.  Take it from someone who knows.  I have a neck problem.  I did not become aware of just how bad it was until a few years ago.  I now have pain and numbness down my right arm almost all the time.  I was doing headstand to "strengthen" my neck, shoulders and upper body.  Well, that my friends was a mistake.  It made things worse.  

May I suggest instead, you try handstand.  Use the wall.  Take part of your body weight upside down.  It's great and much more strenth building that heastand will EVER be.  

Yes there are great benefits to inversions.  Remember that anytime your head is below your heart, you are in an inversion.  So pop a block under your bumm and do legs up the wall at the end of yoga class.  It's freaking fabulous.  Calm your breath and love every minute of this contemplative pose.  OR for strength building, work on hopping into handstand trying each side, so you don't get use to only using one foot for your hop.

​As I get more techy, I wil do a youtube video on more things inversiony.  For now, please rethink headstand.  Unless you are very strong in the neck, shoulders core, upperbody and have no neck problems.  I think you are safer in handstand.  And let us not forget the people who are on their smartphones...they are developing a whole new set of neck problems and may want to rethink headstand until they can straighten their necks back to a naturally healthy position.  Peace and Love to you all!