How can we live the highest quality of life possible and increase our chances of longevity? To this eternal quest, one key ingredient is essential-the inversion of the brain and heart. In The Urgent Inversion, author and yoga practitioner Carol Curtis describes the health benefits of inversion and includes instructions and pose illustrations to perform the inversion.

This guide discusses how the eternal pull of gravity can cause our skin, tissues, and organs to sag and droop as time passes. The circulation of the blood throughout the body slows down as we get older, and the pull of gravity makes it more and more difficult for the heart to pump blood to the brain. Not only will inversion help to reverse these effects, but it may also help to prevent Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic depression, and addictions.

Incorporating basic information about the physiological and lifestyle benefits of these inversion poses, The Urgent Inversion advocates that we become proactive and invert the brain and heart each day to slow down and reverse the effect of gravity's pull which will slow the aging process and promote a longer and healthier life.

THE URGENT INVERSION

From the PEN of a LAYPERSONBy Carol Curtis

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2009 Carol Curtis
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4401-6096-7

Contents

Acknowledgments.........................................ixPreface.................................................xiIntroduction............................................xiiiAlzheimer's Disease.....................................1Brain/Heart Inversions..................................3Forward Bends...........................................4Standing Forward Bend...................................9Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana).....................13Three-Legged Variation (Left)...........................15Three-Legged Variation (Right)..........................16Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)...........................17Headstand (Sirshasana)..................................23Inversion Therapy Devices...............................37Conclusion..............................................39References..............................................41About the Author........................................43

Chapter One

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's is a progressive and degenerative disease. The cells of the brain shrink and deteriorate or disappear, causing loss of brain and bodily functions.

The circulation of the blood throughout the body tends to slow down as we become older. The heart has to pump blood to the brain, working up against gravity, and this becomes progressively difficult unless the circulation of the blood to the brain is revitalized.

Studies show that exercise stimulates the flow of blood to the brain, lowering the risk of Alzheimer's. It stands to reason, therefore, that the mild, partial, or full inversion of the brain and heart, which increases the flow of blood to the brain, may help to prevent or alleviate Alzheimer's.

It would be easier for the brain to receive extra oxygen and nourishment carried to it by fresh blood pumped from the heart, when the head is below the heart. According to research, people who have a family history of Alzheimer's will not necessarily get the disease. The inversion of the brain and heart may also help to prevent or alleviate other disorders of the brain, such as Parkinson's disease, chronic depression, mental illness, and addictions. It may also help to prevent stroke, because certain inverted postures, like the shoulder stand and headstand, lower the blood pressure, bringing it to normal.

Brain/Heart Inversions

The following are some examples of mild (or partial) inversions and full inversions of the brain and the heart. You should get the consent of your doctor before doing any inversion of the brain and heart. Do what your body allows you to comfortably do. Breathe deeply to maximize the benefits of the inversion. Your stomach should distend when you breathe in and flatten when you breathe out. Inversions can be safely introduced if they are introduced gradually. The mild, (or partial), inversion of the heart and brain can be achieved by anyone. Even those with physical challenges can achieve these, under a doctor's supervision, if necessary. Mild, (or partial), inversions can be introduced before gradually moving to steeper inversions, if desired. The outlined benefits of the following postures are derived from the inversion of the brain and the heart or of the entire body.

Forward Bends

Sitting Forward Bend

Start in a sitting position on a chair.

Bend forward slowly, allowing the head to go between the knees and down as far as possible.

The fingers or palms of the hands should touch the floor. Stay in this position for thirty seconds to one minute.

Slowly come back up to a sitting position.

Repeat this exercise two more times.

Standing Forward Bend

Start in a standing position.

Bend forward at the waist.

Reach downward toward your toes, as far as possible, with straight arms. Your knees can be straight or slightly bent.

The fingers, or the palms of the hands, if possible, are touching the floor. Look back beyond your legs. Stay in this position for thirty seconds to one minute.

Slowly, one vertebra at a time, come back up to a standing position.

Repeat this exercise two more times.

Benefits of Forward Bends

Forward bends stimulate the flow of blood to the brain, calming the mind.

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Come to your hands and knees on your mat, with your wrists shoulder distance apart and your upper body parallel to your mat.

With your fingers spread and grounded, push back, curling your toes upward, raising your hips, and straightening your legs. Let your head hang.

Draw your heels as close to your mat as possible. Your body should be in a triangular position. Look back beyond your legs.

Three-Legged Variation (Left)

Start in Downward Dog position. Raise your left leg backward, as straight and as high as possible. Look back beyond your left leg. Hold for thirty seconds to one minute. Then return the leg to its original position.

Three-Legged Variation (Right)

Raise your right leg backward as straight and as high as possible. Look back beyond your right leg. Hold for thirty seconds to one minute. Then return the leg to its original position.

Benefits of Downward Dog

The Downward Dog posture, like the shoulder stand and headstand (to follow), eliminates fatigue and rejuvenates the brain cells.

Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

On your mat, assume the starting position, lying on your back.

Bring your knees up over your chest.

Supporting your lower back with the palms of your hands, gradually raise your hips and back.

Lift your legs as high and as straight as you can. Rest your weight on your shoulders, keeping your elbows as close together as possible. Keep your legs straight, supporting your back with the palms of your hands. Look up at your feet. This posture can be held for one minute if you are a beginner. If you are comfortable, it can be held for up to three minutes or longer.

Supporting your lower back, slowly lower your upper body to your mat. Your legs may be bent or straight.

Benefits of Shoulder Stand

The shoulder stand rests the heart by using gravity to stimulate the circulation of blood to the brain. Practicing the shoulder stand can lower the blood pressure and bring it to normal. The shoulder stand calms the mind and relieves mild depression.

When NOT to do Headstand

It is not a good idea to do headstand if any of the following are true:

You have a family history of heart disease or stroke

You have high or low blood pressure

You are menstruating

You have had a recent neck injury or have arthritis in your neck

You are under thirteen years of age

You have eye problems, such as cataracts or a detached retina

Headstand (Sirshasana)

Come to your hands and knees on your mat with your legs together.

Bring your elbows down to your mat and grasp each elbow with the opposite hand to set the distance of your arms.

Extend your forearms and interlace your fingers to form a triangular base for your headstand.

Place the top of your head down on your mat, so that the interlaced fingers are supporting the back of your head. Press your elbows firmly into your mat at all times throughout this pose.

Straighten your legs into a jackknife position.

Walk forward on the balls of your feet until you find your center of balance or your center of gravity. Do not proceed any further until you have found this center. If you do not proceed beyond this point, you have already achieved a full inversion of the brain and the heart.

Maintaining this center, slowly lift your toes off your mat, bending your knees slightly.

Keeping your knees as close to your body as possible, gradually raise your legs upward until they are straight. Press your elbows firmly into your mat.

Hold this pose for one minute, if you are a beginner. The ideal time to hold this pose is three minutes.

Lower your legs gradually by bending your knees and keeping them as close to your body as possible.

Lower your legs back into the jackknife position.

From the jackknife position, come down to your knees, leaving your elbows down and your fingers interlaced and supporting the back of your head.

Sit back on your heels, allowing your chest to rest on your thighs. Place your forehead on your mat, stretching your arms out in front of you. Remain in this rest position for two minutes before standing upright. This position of rest, the child pose (Balasana), allows the body to assimilate the benefits of this inversion and allows the circulation of the blood to normalize.

Benefits of Headstand

The headstand improves the circulation of blood to the brain. It also lowers the blood pressure. It improves concentration, memory, and mental alertness and calms the mind. The headstand relieves depression and promotes self-confidence. It improves the complexion and reduces wrinkles. The pull of gravity continues during the inversion of the body, but the effects are reversed. The cumulative effect of the inversion of the body is that the skin, muscles, tissues, and organs are lifted up, rather than being pulled down.

Inversion Therapy Devices

There are many inversion therapy devices available on the market. The most common inversion therapy device is the inversion table. The inversion table can be adjusted to various angles, allowing partial to full inversion of the body. Some of the benefits of this inversion therapy device are: heightened mental alertness due to an increased blood flow to the brain, relief from depression, and a youthful complexion.

When NOT to Use Inversion Therapy

The following is a generalized list of contraindications for the use of inversion therapy:

You have had a recent head injury

You have fainting spells

You have had an acute spinal injury

You are disoriented when upside down

You have a detached retina

You have cerebral sclerosis

You have had a recent stroke

Consult your doctor before using an inversion therapy device if you have any of the following conditions:

Glaucoma

High blood pressure

Recent back injury

Chronic sinusitis

You are being treated for heart and circulatory disorders

Conclusion

There is a tendency to react to things that we see. We have seen the effect of the invisible force of gravity on our bodies with the passage of time. It is urgent that we take a proactive rather than a reactive approach to the forces of gravity and time, by partly or completely inverting the brain and the heart. When the brain is positioned below the heart for a few minutes daily, the negative forces of gravity and time can be greatly reduced. Think of it (the inversion of the brain and heart) as your brain receiving its daily vitamins in fresh blood from the heart. Give your brain its daily dose! Your brain has neurotransmitters, like a complex machine. The blood supply that the brain receives from the heart during the inversion of the brain and heart can be considered as fuel to keep the neurotransmitters up and running. When the brain and heart are inverted, they can work together more efficiently. The mild, (or partial), inversion of the brain and heart can be achieved by anyone, and everyone is entitled to its benefits. The entire body is invigorated, and the aging process is delayed. The inversion of the brain and heart is eternally essential. It is never too late. The time to act is now!

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Excerpted from THE URGENT INVERSIONby Carol Curtis Copyright © 2009 by Carol Curtis. Excerpted by permission.
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