Gravity pulls us down.

Walking presses and strains our knees and hip joints. Our spines become compressed from driving, sitting, standing and years of living. Our organs become compressed over time, slowing bowel processes. How can we avoid this as the years go by ? Omega 3, probiotics, anti-inflammatory herbs, exercise, sure.

However, by simply inverting your body at an angle, you can decompress and relax your organ systems and neutral out knees and hips. Even give yourself a natural face lift while toning your abs. For some people ‘Inversion’ is a great, simple natural body therapy.

My own journey brought me to Inversion Therapy.

I taught Bellyfit fitness for 4 years. During that time I developed plantar fasciitis. A painful condition in your heels and feet. Worse in the morning, I found, until my foot fascia was ‘warmed up’.

I  started to crave reverse positions in yoga.  I craved a handstand position, but my arms were too weak it seemed. I wanted to stretch out. I now know my body was asking for inversion therapy.

Inversion therapy involves being upside down or at an inverted angle while hanging by the legs, ankles, or feet with the intention of therapeutic benefits. The process of doing so is called inversion. It is a form of spinal decompression and a form of spinal traction.

^{Inversion allows back joints to stretch and expand. Inversion Tables as opposed to 90 degree ‘gravity boots’, allow for more control since one can choose a smaller angle, such as 15-60 degrees from horizontal, to stretch the back, which puts less strain on feet, ankles, knees, and other joints.}

After researching I decided to purchase an inversion table. A Teeter 950 Hangup version. I wanted the features this table offers. Very soon, if not the first time I used the table, my left hip popped out. That’s how it felt anyway.

I had been enduring, leading aerobics classes, not to mention daily life, with an impacted hip joint. No wonder I developed plantar fasciitis.

Immediately I could feel a difference in how I went up stairs. I felt both my legs and feet pushing and working equally again. I hadn’t noticed the incremental degradation in function until my alignment was reset by inversion.

As I continued to used this table my tail bone loosed up. I felt more mobility in my pelvis again and more space inside my body.

One day, as I hung, breathing deeply, I experienced a huge unexpected release. Suddenly, in my lower thoracic spine, a lengthening occurred.  I let out a small yipe sound, as the release startled me 🙂 It must have been stuck there for a long time. Now my spine moves more easily in this area, mobilized by my gentle inversion sessions.

One can also attain a wonderfully healing sensation by rocking back and forth on the table before inversion. Not only does this prepare the body fluids for inversion, it provides a comforting relaxation.

I believe this gentle motion takes the body back to the suspended state in the womb. Just by laying and rocking on the table, one can feel the body floating in space, a serene weightlessness. The security of table allows deep relaxation as you are very safely positioned.

Another feature of the table is its flexible bed. This allows for torsion or spiral stretching that is nearly impossible unless one’s body is suspended inverted. The more you spend time on the table the more innovative ways you can discover to stretch and release your body.

Increased oxygenation due to enhanced circulation, brings a deep meditative feeling post inversion. It is a great time to sit and re-centre.

The over all strengthening and flexibility one can achieve with Inversion Therapy is no doubt going to be a welcome addition to any healthy lifestyle.

People who have heart disease, high blood pressure, eye diseases (such as glaucoma), or are pregnant are at higher risk for the dangers related to inversion therapy and should consult their doctors about it first. Also, if you suffer from ‘acid reflux’, inversion may not be for you.

If you are in central Saskatchewan, under 290 pounds, in fair to good health, and would like to try Inversion Therapy, contact me by email tinfoilhatlady@gmail.com

I will answer any questions about Inversion Therapy.

I am at The new Earth Expo https://www.facebook.com/events/932193056828024/

(Educational and/or Experiential services) and the costs associated.