“Remember: While the lymphatic system is a circulatory system like the blood vessels we all have, there is no heart to drive the lymphatic system, so we have to move and exercise to make the lymph flow nicely,” Integrative Gastroenterologist Marvin Singh, M.D., has previously told mbg. And inversions like shoulder stand can help stimulate the flow of lymph in a different way than we might be used to, which can help maintain fluid balance in our bodies. You also want to make sure you find proper alignment before starting. “You want to make sure your head, neck, and shoulders are safe,” says yoga instructor Caley Alyssa in our Yoga Inversions 101 class. When you’re ready, make your way to legs up the wall pose. Extend your legs straight up towards the sky and flex your toes back towards your face. Lay your arms down by your sides with your palms pressed into your mat. Once this feels comfortable, tuck one knee and then the other into your forehead, creating a small ball with your body. Don’t forget to breathe, either. “I can’t stress this enough,” James urges. “I’ve seen students constrict or hold their breath in this and feel an immediate tightening of their chest. Just relax, don’t resist the stretch, and breathe.” To come out of shoulder stand, gently lower your legs back to plow pose. “You can pike down with both legs or you can come down with one leg followed by the other,” Alyssa says. From plow, you can bend your knees and breathe, then when you’re ready, slowly release your hands from lower back and roll back down onto your spine. First, you can put a blanket underneath of your shoulders or a block underneath of your sacrum for extra support. “Align your shoulders with the end of the blanket so your head and neck come off of the edge of the blanket,” Alyssa explains. If you aren’t so comfortable while in the shoulder stand pose, you can bend one knee into the chest and breathe before switching. “It will help you feel a little more stable and grounded,” Alyssa continues. James also recommends using a wall. “Face the wall and keep crawling or edging your legs up until you can find your balance here when you remove your legs,” she explains. Whether you’re an advanced yogi or a beginner, there are a lot of benefits to incorporating shoulder stand into your regular yoga practice. Start with the tips above and remember: The more you practice, the easier it will become.
