When you practice at home, it’s easy to fall into familiar patterns—reaching for the poses you know and moving through them on autopilot. Seasoned practitioners benefit from periodically refreshing how we plan a sequence—not just what we practice, but how we organize it.
This week, we’re looking at the relationship between inversions and backbends—and how to structure a practice that supports both steadiness and vitality.
Why Start with Headstand?
Practicing Śīrṣāsana (Headstand) at the beginning of a session helps to steady the senses and draw the mind inward. It establishes a tone of clarity and attention. When followed by backbends, the result is often a lift in mood, vitality in the chest, and renewed energy. This combination can be especially helpful when you feel dull, unmotivated, or unfocused.
Even if you’re not working with Headstand right now, you can substitute a supported inversion like Adho Mukha Śvānāsana (Downward Dog) with head support to establish that same inward focus.
Bringing Pacing and Variety into Practice
One way to bring depth into home practice is by adjusting not just the poses, but how they’re arranged.
Viṣama nyāsa refers to placing unrelated pose categories back-to-back—like moving from a twist to a backbend to a forward bend. This kind of contrast keeps the nervous system alert and the mind engaged.
Viloma, on the other hand, involves repeating a single pose several times throughout the session. That pose becomes a kind of thread that runs through the practice—something you revisit and refine as your body warms, your awareness shifts, and your breath deepens.
B.K.S. Iyengar describes this approach in Ārogya Yoga, noting that the pivotal āsana may be used three or four times in the sequence. For example, Viparīta Daṇḍāsana can be done at the start, middle, and end of the sequence (p. 297).
Here’s one way to work with the viloma method using Dwi Pada Viparīta Daṇḍāsana (on a chair) as your anchor:
Adho Mukha Śvānāsana (Downward Dog)
Open the shoulders and lengthen the spine.Dwi Pada Viparīta Daṇḍāsana– Round 1
Legs bent, bolstered support, short stay. Focus on ease and quietness.Uṣṭrāsana (Camel Pose)
Build active extension and lift through the spine.Viparīta Daṇḍāsana – Round 2
Legs straight, reduced support. Stay a bit longer, explore breath and steady gaze.Bhujaṅgāsana + Śalabhāsana (Cobra and Locust)
Strengthen the back body.Viparīta Daṇḍāsana – Round 3
Your final stage, then gradually come out and observe.Setu Bandha on a bolster
Let the system settle.Savasana or Viparīta Karaṇi
Rest in the vibration from your practice
You can modify the number of rounds or level of support depending on your time and energy. The repeated pose gives the session a rhythm—it’s not just variety, but refinement.
Final Thought
Sequencing isn’t just about order—it’s about pacing, contrast, repetition, and reflection. The methods described here offer different tools to help your practice stay alive and purposeful.
Try pairing Śīrṣāsana with backbends this week, or use a viloma approach with a pose of your choice. The pose itself may not change—but your relationship to it will.
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