Yoga Inversions: Your Guide to Going Upside Down

by Kat Heagberg Rebar, Dianne Bondy (Foreword), Andrea Killam (Photographer)

An approachable, user-friendly guide to inversions of all kinds for anyone who wants to try going upside down, featuring 85 practices that explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of yoga.

Learn to hop into a handstand, do a forearm stand with blocks⁠—and even appreciate legs up the wall in new ways with this comprehensive and accessible guide to inversions in yoga.

Kat Heagberg Rebar offers an easy-to-follow guide with 175 beautiful color photos. For each pose Kat offers adaptations, challenging variations, and everything in between. She also shares options to prepare safely and practices to build strength. In addition to teaching the physical practice of inversions, Rebar addresses the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of this often-challenging practice. 

Yoga Inversions offers a progressive, biomechanically sound, inclusive, step-by-step approach to anyone who wants to try being upside down, and includes:

-Downward dog and dolphin variations to set you up for success
-Innovative prop tips
-Handstand preps and drills
-Tips for stepping, jumping, hopping, and pressing into handstand
-Handstand against the wall and away from the wall
-Forearm stand, headstand, and shoulderstand variations
-Customizable practices to help you reach your goals
-And much more

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2023

Reviews

[Emily]

Rebar jumps off the pages of Yoga Inversions and straightens up any misconceptions readers have about how to start turning their bodies—and lives—upside down in ways that range from the restorative to the reinvigorating. The sections focus on downward facing dog and dolphin, handstand, forearm stand, headstand, and shoulder stand and plow pose, with practice grids, sample sequences, and resources for further study. After documenting her own feelings of being underrepresented in yoga classes, her decision to illustrate the poses with diverse models serves as a powerful, intentional act of social justice, and her inclusion of an appendix letting readers meet the models should become a blueprint for future authors of fitness books to use if they want to shift the narrative around what bodies deserve to take up space on yoga mats and in gyms (spoiler: all bodies do). As playful yet powerful as any yogi has to be before attempting to turn upside down, this book will inspire readers to lift off—and lift up others.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author believes inversions are for everyone, not just those who embrace her favorite, the headstand. A variety of models, of varying ages, genders, body types, and ethnicities, demonstrate the poses in excellent color photographs. Recommended for anyone interested in learning about yoga inversions and their myriad variations. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The illustrations are really helpful. The writing gives a great idea of not only how to get into the poses but also how to cue them. I could have used just a few more prep poses or ideas of how long to use them to build up to the full inversion but, honestly, you probably need to be able to listen to your own body.

[Kyle Rebar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t hand stand away from the wall before, now, I can do handstand push ups. The world is my (upside down) toaster!

[Barb Wernert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book to my sister who is into yoga.
This is her review, "This book is for all levels of ability and practical practice. The author's modifications and guides are very helpful."

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave some great, practical tips.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book with a foreword by Dianne Bondy. Lots of photos with real people in the postures. Even if you think you'll never do a handstand, as pictured on the cover, this book is still worth your time because the author offers so many great details. Kat gives specific exercises to do for strengthening upper back and arms to assist your practice. Beautiful!