You've definitely seen the social media posts on inversions - headstands, handstands, elbow stands, and all kinds of arm balances. But what are the benefits of headstands? And, how do you do them? They make Yoga look elegant and fancy, and they take some practice, but headstands, in particular, are attainable by any yogi! Why do we flip upside down and try to stand on our heads? Admittedly, most yogis you see do it for fun. What's not to love about being upside down and playing on the mat? The Benefits of Headstands The largest benefit from a purely physiological point of view is that it helps blood flow return to the heart. Our bodies have miles and miles of veins - little blood vessels with one-way valves that help return the blood to the heart. The valves help ensure one-way flow, returning deoxygenated blood back to the heart despite gravity. A headstand, or other inversions, means that venous flow now works with gravity. If you have varicose veins, inversions are helpfu...