Standing on Your Head: 27 Inversion Practices to Build Awareness

7/31/2019 Standing on Your Head: 27 Inversion Practices to Build Awareness

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Standing on Your Head27 Inversion Practices to Build Your Awareness

2012 by Tina Berger

Licensed under the Creative Commons License, Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Please feel free to copy or distribute electronicallyvia email or

blogto anyone you think would benefit from this eBook. And ifyou are interested in more information on inversion practices or

other awareness practices, visit my blog at http://guided-

passages.blogspot.com.

Warm regards,

Tina Berger

Founder, Guided Passages

www.guided-passages.com
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What are inversion practices?

Inversion practices are practices in which we reverse our

habitual ways of doing, seeing, and thinking about things;

we turn our habits upside down or reverse them in order

to develop awareness of our patterns and increase our

flexibility to think, see, and move outside of them.

In this little book, you will find descriptions of 27

different inversion practices. This is neither a complete

list, nor a recommended list. Not everyone has the same

habits; some of the practices described in these pages

may be very challenging to you, while others may not bea stretch at all.

Think of this collection as a place to begin. Pick a few of

the 27 that feel right for you to try out, and watch your

reactions. Most likely, as you begin to practice inversion,you will begin to notice some specific areas where your

own perceptions and habits feel the most constricted.

If a practice has not been provided to address those

areas, go ahead and develop your own. Go on now!Stand on your head!

Tina Berger

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1. Drive intuitively.

No maps. No directions. No goals.

No GPS. No schedule.

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Habitual Pattern:

Decide where to go, use maps and devices to findthe most direct route, and drive there.

Inversion Practice:Dont decide where to go, dont use a map ordevices; just get in the car for a fun adventure,turning and stopping according your instincts.Invite a friend if you like.

For some of us driving has become a tediousactivity, just a way to get from point A to point B.We have a places to be and schedules to keep andmiles to go before we sleep. But what if it werentlike that? What if we could put the fun back intodriving, even just for the day?

Decide on an initial direction, and just drive until itfeels right to either stop or turn again. Trustyourself. Stop anyplace that that catches your eyeor calls to you. After all, you are free. The wheelsare yours. Use them.

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2. Be invisible.

Enter a wild space like a

deerquietly and furtively.

Be completely still. Or

move slowly and silently.

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Habitual Pattern:

Unconsciously change and disrupt wild spaces,looking for things to do, eat, or take.

Inversion Practice:Visit wild spaces without changing or disruptingthem. Enter the woods (or other natural space) asquietly and unobtrusively as possible and thensimply be still.

Most of us never really get to see a wild space in astate anywhere near its natural state. The minutewe arrive, animals scatter. We make noise withoutthinking, and we step on growing things withoutnoticing. What would happen if we did itdifferently?

Try entering a wilderness area without beingdisruptive. Walk silently and mindfully. Leave yourphone in the car. Sit still against a tree (or even in atree) and see what happens around you.

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3. Sleep under the stars.

In your backyard, at a campsite,

on a balcony in the middle of

the city. Nestle yourself down

under a blanket of stars.

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Habitual Pattern:

Sleep through the night indoors with walls, a roof,and automatic temperature control.

Inversion Practice:Sleep outdoors with no walls, no roof. Control yourown temperature with clothing and beddingchoices.

Many of us have become accustomed toseparating ourselves from the natural world,especially at night when our vision is limited. Westay indoors, and the night sky is reduced to abeautiful backdrop we appreciate through ourclosed windows. But what if, for one night, thestars became everything as we drift off to sleep?

Take your sleeping bag to a campsite or out in yourback yard. Make yourself as comfortable aspossible (suffering is not the point) and count starstonight.

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4. Eat Nothing for a Day.

Experience your day without

the distraction and rhythm of

meals. Fill yourself with the

wonder of the day.

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Habitual Pattern:

Eat whatever is desired whenever it is desired,typically at least three meals in 24 hours (in theWest).

Inversion Practice:

Eat nothing for 24 hours.

If we are not intentionally mindful and grateful,eating can become an unconscious act. Food fastsare as old as mankind. We do them for medicinalpurposes, for spiritual purposes and sometimes forcauses we believe in. What happens when we fastfor the cause of our own awareness?

Forego food for just one day, and set your clock byanother measure. Find quiet spaces to notice yourreactions. Listen to the messages from your body,mind and spirit without the distraction of food.

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5. Dont Speak.

Commit a day to silence.

Practice listening and giving

attention to those thingsthat get lost in the swirl of

our noisy lives.

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Habitual Pattern:

Speak automatically, unconsciously, andsometimes unnecessarily.

Inversion Practice:Say nothing for 24 hours. Only listen, and listendeeply.

Some of us have a difficult time holding ourtongues. In conversations, we often have so manyideas and words to express that we attend onlysuperficially to the words of others. What happensif we stop speaking and instead listen intently tothe feelings, thoughts, and ideas of others? Whatif we take it one step further and listen toeverything going on around us?

Stop speaking for just one day. If you mustcommunicate something important, write it down.Notice what youve been missing, and journal yourreactions.

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6. Give something away.

Turn the habit of acquisition on

its head and give something

away. Not just anything. Give

away something that you love.

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Habitual Pattern:

Unconsciously acquire things based on needs,wants, and desires.

Inversion Practice:Intentionally give away one or more prizedpossessions.

Do we own our possessions or do they own us? Itis a question we may wish to turn away from. Weare constantly immersed in the messages that ourhappiness depends on getting and having certainthings. Our fast-paced lives may leave us feelingthe need to self-comfort through acquisition.

Look around your house at the things you mostprize. Find something that means something toyou, write a note about its meaning and why youare letting it go and then give it to someone whowill appreciate it.

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7. Unplug.

Stay off of all technology

and your personal

electronic devices for a day.

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Habitual Pattern:

Check cell phone messages, email, the internet,and social networking sites constantly throughoutthe day.

Inversion Practice:

Refrain from using your cell phone or computer for24 hours.

The miracle of technology has transformed ourlives. We have immediate access to all sorts ofinformation in a myriad of formats, and we canconnect to each other more easily over thousandsof miles. What happens when we take a breatherfrom that miracle?

Today, take a technology break and getreacquainted with the world that exists outside ofyour computer and your cell phone. Even if youdont feel like technology obsession is a problemfor you, give it a try and see if you are missinganything.

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8. Give Thanks.Contact someone who has done

something meaningful for you

and let them know how much it

meant (or means) to you.

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Habitual Pattern:

Unconsciously thank people for help or for gifts inthe moment.

Inversion Practice:Making a conscious effort to express gratitude forspecific significant and meaningful support.

Many of us say, thank you, all the timeat thegrocery store when someone yields their place inline, when someone lets us enter a lane in traffic,when someone opens a door. But there are peoplein our lives whose support has impacted us on aprofound and lasting level. While they probablyalready know we are grateful, what happens whenwe take some time to really tell them?

Write a letter and send it. Pick up the phone andcall. Make a PowerPoint presentation outlining allthe ways what they have done has made adifference to you. Just let them know.

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9. Think about death.

Write about your death orsomeone elses. Celebrate your

death. Write your eulogy. Grieve a

death if you know you need to.

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Habitual Pattern:

Avoid considering death.

Inversion Practice:

Consider death and allow yourself to be awakenedby the inevitability of it.

Most of us are probably not great with facingdeath, either our own or that of a loved one. Theunknown nature of the hereafter can send usrunning for all sorts of distractions. What happensif we stop running and allow ourselves to considermortality? Many indigenous cultures celebratedeath as a natural part of the cycle of life. Whatare we missing by our refusal to acknowledge thefact that our time here is limited?

Today, take some time to consider death, yourdeath in particular. What would the world be likewithout you? What would you need to do beforeyou can die peacefully? Are you living in a way thatyou want to be remembered?

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10. Breathe deeply.

Get somewhere alone whereyou can spend some time

learning to breathe

deeplyand then do it.

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Habitual Pattern:

Breathe shallowly and rapidly.

Inversion Practice:

Breathe deeply and slowly.

During the colonization of Hawaii, the islanderscame up with the nickname Haole for themainlanders who were settling there. Haole,literally translated means without breath.

Western culture is a culture of shallow breathers.There are many documented health benefits ofdeep breathing. In the East, the breath is thevehicle for the life force energy or prana. Whathappens if we slow down a bit and deepen ourbreathing for just a few minutes a day?

Reacquaint yourself with your breath and how itfeels to draw deep breaths into your body. For 5minutes each day for a week, sit somewherecomfortable and take long, slow and deep breaths.Notice any shifts in your energy and awareness.

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11. Begin!

Remember what it is like to have

no idea how to do something.Take up painting, guitar, roller

skatingsomething you have

never done before.

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Habitual Pattern:

Desire to be a competent, recognized expert.

Inversion Practice:

Desire to be a rank amateura beginner.

As adults, we like to know what were doing and tobe respected for what we know. Remembering thebeginners mind is important for so many reasons.When we experience a thorough lack of ability inan area, we can more easily feel compassion forthose around us who also struggle to learnsomething new. Each new activity we pick upcreates new neural connections in our brain andhelps keep our mind sharp and nimble as we growolder.

Today, begin to learn to do something new. Learnto paint, to sew, to play an instrument, to changeyour oil, to make a piece of furniture. Picksomething in line with your interest but welloutside of your current know-how.

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12. Work slowly.

Start a project that is impossible tohurry. Plant and tend a garden. Build

the perfect treehouse. Paint a mural.

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Habitual Pattern:

Work to complete a project rapidly and efficiently.

Inversion Practice:

Savor the process of engaging with a creativeproject over time.

As our lives get busy and hectic, we may begin toselect our creative projects based on what we canfit into small time increments. Even worse, we maystop planning creative projects altogether. Can weshift our thinking about our leisure projects? Canwe consider our simple enjoyment of the processto be the reward of certain projects, secondary tothe end product?

Start a project that takes time and engages youcreatively. Plan and build a tree house, appointingit lavishly with fun features. Plant a year-roundgarden. Let something unfold slowly at your hands.If you must set goals for completion, make the goalfor a year from now.

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Habitual Pattern:

Drive a car to get where ever desired wheneverdesired.

Inversion Practice:Travel without a car (or any other gas-poweredtransportation) for 24 hours.

When we only travel across the landscapeenclosed in a car, we can lose our sense of distanceand our sensory connection to the environmentaround us. What happens when we travel underour own power, without the aid of a car or otherautomated transportation vehicle? What sightsand sounds and other sensations do we notice?

For one day, pretend that you do not have accessto gas-powered transportation. Walk, ride yourbike, skate, skipwhatever works for you. Noticethe ways in which the experience is different.Consider the ways in which you appreciate each.

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14. Free your inner child.

Do the thing that makes you feel

silly. Dance or skip through your

nightly walk. Spin on a tire swing.

Swing high on the swing set.

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Habitual Pattern:

Be a sensible adult. Waste no time with play ordaydreaming.

Inversion Practice:Be a silly child. Play and daydream with wildabandon.

We aspire to grow up so quickly, and as we do wemay lose access to the more playful aspects ofourselves. Studies show that play increases ouradaptability and makes us better problem solvers.When we lose the ability to play, we lose theability to adapt and grow. What happens if we giveourselves permission to be a childagainsometimes?

Just remember what you loved to do when youwere a kid, and try it again. Did you love to buildforts in the living room with blankets and chairs?Did you sing and dance? Did you like pretending?Go on and play! No ones gonna tattle.

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15. Be anonymously kind.

There is little that feels more

exhilarating and affirming than

doing something wonderful

without taking credit.

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Habitual Pattern:

Be kind with the witness of others.

Inversion Practice:

Perform anonymous acts of kindness.

Some are already beginning to make this a habit.There is a movement underway, called RandomActs of Kindness. But the movement hasntmoved us all yet. What happens when we makethe miracle of anonymous kindness happen in astrangers life? How does it change ourperspective?

Start the wave yourself where ever you live. Begin

mysteriously adding tokens of joy to the lives ofstrangers. Leave a package of cookies on yourneighbors doorstep with a note. Pay for the orderbehind you in the drive through. Hide notes ofencouragement and love in the grocery store. Thereturn is immediate. Trust me.

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16. Be a foreigner.

Visit a place where you are an outsider,

a place where you dont speak the

language, dont know the customs, or

just dont know your way around.

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Habitual Pattern:

Travel to familiar places and have comfortable,relaxing experiences.

Inversion Practice:Travel to foreign places, be an outsider, and haveunfamiliar experiences.

It can be both frightening and inspiring to stepoutside of our comfort zones, but there can begreat rewards for those who learn to do so. Whathappens to our awareness when we take on theexperience of a stranger in a strange land?

Go somewhere that you feel like an outsider. Travel

to a foreign country where you dont speak thelanguage. Visit a local Asian grocery store and lookfor a certain kind of tea. Visit a church or a templein which you are not the ethnic or racial majority.Observe differences. Ask questions. Learn.

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17. Break your own rules.Skip the meeting Be late Eat dinner in

the morning Get dirty Go to a

restaurant in your pajamas.

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Habitual Pattern:

Maintain daily rituals and observe personal rules.

Inversion Practice:

Take a holiday from daily rituals and breakpersonal rules.

We all have them, the routines and rules we havecreated for ourselves that give our days structureand make our lives predictable. What happenswhen we mix things up a bit and break our ownrules?

Try breaking a few of your favorite rules, start withthe ones your friends tease you about. Do you

insist on being on time to every meeting, event,and party? Be a little late. Do you avoid wearingcolor? Wear red. Do you mow your lawn everySaturday morning? Let it go a few days. Change theorder of your morning routine. Skip the eveningnews. Change things up and watch your reactions.

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18. Agree to agree.

Review an argument in which you

have a definitive point of view and

find a point of agreement with the

opposing view.

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Habitual Pattern:

Argue and disagree completely on certaincontroversial issues and topics.

Inversion Practice:Find ways to find value in and agreement withopposing points of view.

This practice may require a bit of a stretch. And themore we stretch, the more effective the practice.Usually, whether we agree or disagree with otherson an issue, they typically have reasons for theirposition on it. It can be truly expansive to learn tosee charged issues from multiple perspectives.What new ideas can germinate when we findcompassion for those with an opposing view?

Find an issue that you are passionate about, andresearch the opposing point of view. Find a fewpoints you can agree with, and try to understandthe perspective of those on the other side of theissue. Notice how this changes your conversations.

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19. Humanize your heroes.

Learn more about your heroesthan what makes them great.

Learn what makes them human.

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Habitual Pattern:

Insist on the infallibility of personal and culturalheroes.

Inversion Practice:

Acknowledge the humanity and imperfection ofpersonal and cultural heroes.

A part of what makes our heroes so admirable tous is that we can relate to them. They are human

like us, yet they have accomplished amazing thingsoften under adverse conditions. Over time, it canbe tempting to think of our heroes as somethingmore than human, closing our minds to theirimperfections and faults.

Examine your heroes in depth. Research andconsider their frailties and mistakes. In recognizingthe fullness of their humanity, we are able to morefully relate to and appreciate theiraccomplishments with balance and compassion.

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20. Be nocturnal.

Sleep during the day

and stay up all night.

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Habitual Pattern:

Experience the world during the day.

Inversion Practice:

Experience the world at night.

One third of our lives is spent sleeping, and whileour bodies very much need the replenishment ofthose hours of shut eye, we have made a habit ofmissing the world of darkness and the wee hoursof the morning. What happens when we reversethis?

Take a nap and rest up for your creature of thenight experiment. Wake up after the sun has gone

down, and get out of the house. Walk around (in asafe neighborhood) and feel how differenteverything feels under the cover of night. Drive tothe beach at night (or any other dark and wildspace) and feel the enormity of the darkness. Driveinto the hills and look down on the lights below.Watch the sunrise and the city come to life.

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21. Be still

Get comfortableand be still.

Remain still past the discomfort.

Remain still past the to-do lists

running through your head.

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22. Let your body lead.Listen to what your body, and

let it run the show for a day.

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Habitual Pattern:

Let the mind lead.

Inversion Practice:

Let the body lead.

For most of us, the mind runs the show. The mindtells us what to do, when to move, when to work,when to sleep, and when and what to eat. Theneeds and desires of our bodies are regularly

overruled in favor of what the mind thinks needsto be done. How often do we remain sitting andworking when our bodies are screaming for us toget up and take a walk outside or to lie down for anap? What happens when we allow the body tolead?

Take a few hours each day to allow your body torun the show. Sink into the awareness of whatyour body wants to do, and do it. Move, dance,eat, skip, rest. Appreciate the difference.

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23. Move differently.

Remind your body that it canmove in a myriad of ways. Skip.

Dance wildly. Slide. Crawl. Roll.

Stand on your head.

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Habitual Pattern:

Move the body in habitual ways

Inversion Practice:

Move the body in completely new ways

Over time, our range of physical movementsbegins to contract into a small and fairlypredictable repertoire of combinations. One of thesymptoms of aging is the loss of physical flexibility,which correlates to a similar loss of mentalflexibility. What happens If we make it a regularpractice to move outside of our habitual ranges ofmotion? What if we intentionally createopportunities for ourselves to move in new anddifferent ways?

Each day for a week, move for 15 minutes in acompletely unfamiliar way that is enjoyable to you.Take a yoga class, skip instead of walking, freedance in your living room, learn tai chi, go to thepark and slide down the slide, roll in the grass.

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Habitual Pattern:

Never shift your natural walking or sittingperspective.

Inversion Practice:Regularly shift your physical perspective to take inviews you wouldnt naturally have.

Have you ever been in a room where the mirrorsare set up so you can see yourself from differentangles? It can be fascinating to see how things lookfrom other perspectives. What happens to ourawareness when we physically change up the waysin which we view things?

Use your camera to help you capture views youdont naturally see. Take shots from underneaththings. Get a close-up shot of your dog. Lie downon the sidewalk or in the middle of your quietstreet to get a picture of the way from a differentperspective. Walk around with your cameraextended over your head, and take pictures.

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25. Walk backwards.

Changing the direction of

your walk naturally

changes your perspective.

Give it a try.

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Habitual Pattern:

Walk forwards.

Inversion Practice:

Walk backwards.

Reversing our walk is another practice that canhelp us learn to disrupt our habitual ways ofmoving and to grow awareness and flexibility. Howdo our habitual perceptions inform and connectwith our habitual movements?

Walk backwards for 15 minutes per day this week.Do so slowly and mindfully in a familiar and safeenvironment. Experiment with looking over your

shoulder from different directions. Look forwardand guide yourself slowly with your feet andhands. Get a friend to watch for you, and try thesame thing in a different safe space that is not wellknown to you. Journal your reactions.

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26. Dont use your eyes.

Wear a blindfold. Shower withthe light off. Dont turn on the

light in the middle of the night

when you get up to get some

water.

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Habitual Pattern:

Be guided primarily by the sense of sight.

Inversion Practice:

Be guided primarily by the other four senses.

We tend to rely a great deal on the information wetake in visually. For most of us, our vision is centralto almost all daily activity. Studies show us thatpeople who lose their vision often developadditional sensitivity in their other four senses.What are we missing by being so dependent onthis visual way of taking in the world?

Today, run some experiments to engage your other

senses. Do some of the chores of your morningroutine blindfolded. Make the coffee by feel andsound. Unload the dishwasher by sense of touch.Make your toast by sense of touch and sound andsmell. Take your shower in the dark. See if you canwalk out to your car blindfolded (make suresomeone is with you.) Notice your reactions.

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27. Speak kindly to yourself.

Imagine you are your own best friend.

Compliment yourself in the mirror. Singyour praises. Claim your gifts.

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Habitual Pattern:

Negative self-talk

Inversion Practice:

Positive self-talk

Some of us are our own harshest critics. No onecan sling judgment on us faster or more brutallythan we can ourselves. A wise friend once told me,Your unconscious mind doesnt have a sense of

humor. It believes everything you say aboutyourself. What traits are you affirming in yourself?

Take a day off from verbal self-flagellation. Today,all day, speak to yourself as if you were your very

best friend. Take on the role of your champion andbiggest fan. Go out of your way to appreciate howpassionately you sang that song in the shower.Look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate youreyes or your legs. Verbally list out your gifts andexpress gratitude for them. Be grateful for yourwisdom or compassion. Be kind to yourself.

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Documents

Standing on Your Head: 27 Inversion Practices to Build Awareness