Gravity is continually pulling us down, and in our harried lives spent staring into screens while sitting on our buttocks, both our spines and our minds are constantly being compressed.
When we spend time decompressing, we bring balance back into our bodies, our minds, and our lives. We come closer to homeostasis.
I have been practicing, teaching, and developing aerial yoga techniques for the past 10 years, and I have witnessed amazing physical and emotional benefits in people who discovered the rejuvenating power of decompressing both mind and body by hanging upside down.
Many have averted surgeries and gotten off pain medication, while others have found equanimity in their lives and eased symptoms of stress. Some have found that decompression frees impinged nerves, solving pain challenges without surgery.
Decompressing the mind comes through taming thought.
Decompressing the body comes through traction and mobilization exercises like hanging upside down from the hips. This creates space between the vertebrae, which in turn allows for spinal fluids to hydrate the cartilaginous soft tissue of the spinal disks. When our soft tissue is left immobilized and unconditioned, it naturally becomes dry, like a sponge, and shrinks. This explains the loss of height as we age.
A flexible spine is a sign of youthfulness. A stiff spine is a sign of aging. Like a spring that isn’t being oiled, the vertebral column becomes less pliable with time. When we invert from our hips, our spine hydrates and becomes more pliable. It’s like taking a sip from the fountain of youth.
If you want to get out the kinks, become measurably taller (lengthening effects are not cumulative), and restore balance to your autonomic nervous system and your life, turn your world upside down for three to five minutes every day.
Christopher Harrison is the founder of AntiGravity Yoga. The AntiGravity methodology supports decompression for all body types, ages, and levels. Come “hang out” and allow your life to feel lighter. AntiGravityFitness.com
