The Soul Yoga Project Video Download–just 6.98

Do you remember what it felt like to hang upside-down as a child?  Many of us used to do it in the playground, hanging by the back of the knees from the monkey-bars or branch of a tree.  Even earlier your parents might have played aeroplane or helicopter with you as a baby or toddler, holding you up in the air on their feet. What a feeling of freedom, exhilaration and safety!  Then at about the age of seven or eight as the ratio of weight to size changed and it became painful on the back of your knees, you stopped.   After that, unless you have been practising yoga or acrobatics the benefits of inversion  also stopped.

Why Invert?

From the moment you were born, your body is at the mercy of gravity!  A force that continuously creates pressure and stress on all of our muscles, bones, joints and ligaments.  By far, the part of the body that is affected most by gravity is the spine.  The combination of gravity and muscle imbalances shove the vertebrae together, pressing on the discs.  The inner core of your discs consists of jelly-like material that acts like a shock absorber system, providing flexibility and cushioning when you are sitting, standing or exercising.

During normal daily activities gravity causes fluid to squeeze out of your discs into adjacent soft tissue.  With less space between the discs, you lose some height and when you sleep, some – but not all – of the fluid soaks back into the discs.  The average person loses ½ inch to 2 inches in height by their senior years.

Insufficient distance between the vertebrae can result in nerve root pressure, which in turn causes pain.  To make matters worse, very often the pressure on the discs is not distributed evenly.   Your discs were not designed to cope with such uneven pressure, and sooner or later it will be too much for them to withstand.  The discs can bulge or herniate, causing spinal damage and likely, a life with chronic pain.

Even the slightest increase in spacing can be enough to allow a herniated disc to pop back into place or relieve pressure from a compressed nerve.

Spinal Advantages:

Discs separate vertebrae allowing movement and provide shock absorption.  Dangerous exercises or constant pounding from running can cause the discs to be compressed.  The centre of the disc contains a jelly type liquid which can protrude out and put pressure on the nerves. When Inverted, your body weight applies mild traction to the spine which becomes slightly longer.  This increases the space between the vertebrae and reduces the pressure on the discs. Every nerve in the body leaves the spine through the spaces between the vertebrae.  Increasing the space between the vertebrae reduces the pressure on the nerve roots and discs, which means less back pain.

By oscillating up and down on an inversion table a pumping action is created for fluids around the spinal discs forcing waste out and drawing in fluid around the discs.  Inversion also helps to relax muscles which increases blood flow through the muscles which in turn maintains the muscles in better condition and is less likely to cause painful spasms.`

Posture may be improved and conditions such as scoliosis and lordosos may be helped.  By reducing muscle spasm, inversion may help to realign the spine (in conjunction with other exercises).

Circulation Advantages:

The cardiovascular system consists of the heart and blood vessels.  The heart pumps blood around the body, inverting can help the heart to supply blood more easily to the brain.

The lymphatic system also circulates fluid around the body, mainly to remove waste products from the muscles and other tissues.  Unlike the cardiovascular system the lymphatic system has no pump and relies on muscles squeezing fluid through the lymph vessels around the system to operate optimumly.  Inversion may assist the passage of lymph fluid up the body and so aid recovery from training by fast removal of waste products.

Maintains your height:

Regular inversion will help you avoid the “shrinkage” due to the cumulative effect of gravity over a lifetime.

Improves circulation:

When you invert, your body can circulate your blood aided by gravity rather than having to work against it.  In addition, with inversion, gravity helps the lymphatic system clear faster, easing the aches and pains of stiff muscles.

Relieves stress:

A full-body stretch feels as rejuvenating as it is!And our oxygen inversion/meditation room makes that relaxation easier to attain than climbing on a jungle gym or taking a yoga class.  Many people sleep better with regular use of our inversion therapy facility.

Heightens mental alertness:

Any upside-down activity increases the supply of oxygen to the brain, which many authorities believe helps you maintain mental sharpness (brain youth).

Increases flexibility and range of motion:

With inversion, your joints stay healthy and supple, so that you can easily remain as active as you were in your younger years.

Improves posture:

The stretch that comes with reversing the direction of gravity helps you sit, stand and move with more ease and grace.

Realigns the spine after workouts:

Running and other aerobic activities inevitably compress your spine, frequently unevenly.  One-sided activities like golf or tennis often pull the spine out of alignment.  During inversion, minor misalignments often correct themselves naturally.

Inversion therapy brings together several healing principles including:

1-trust/letting go 2-balance/alignment 3-trance/inner journeying                                                                                                      4-Oxygenation of the brain 5-inversion/initiation 6- vulnerability/empowerment 7-centring/connection

Get relief and even correct:

Back and neck pain Whiplash Migraine and Headaches Hormone Imbalance Neurosis Depression High Blood Pressure Overweight Lack of Confidence Tiredness Panic Attacks Stiffness Varicose Veins Stress Amenorrhoea Frozen Shoulder

As with all therapies @ ZenLife we suggest medical clearence from your GP prior to Inversion or the use of any equipment/therapies administered.

The following are contraindications for inversion therapy (should not be done): pregnancy, hernia, glaucoma, retinal detachment, conjunctivitis, high blood pressure, recent stroke, heart or circulatory disorders, spinal injury, cerebal sclerosis, swollen joints, osteoporosis, unhealed fractures, surgically implanted supports, use of anticoagulants, ear infection and obesity.