I get a lot of questions about shoulderstand. This pose has been referred to as “the queen” of all yoga poses. However, if you’re a beginner to yoga or someone in a larger body, shoulderstand can be a really frustrating pose. Maybe you can even get into the pose but you feel compression in your neck, fear of falling over, pressure in your face or throat, or difficulty breathing because of a large chest.

I do think that practicing inversions is an important part of a yoga practice, but I don’t think that we need to do the traditional form of shoulderstand to get all the benefits of this inversion. I want to show you another option: a supported variation on shoulderstand using a bolster.

In this video, we’ll explore two supported inversions: bridge and shoulderstand. We’ll learn how to get into the poses, and different options for the lower body once we get there.

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I hope you find these tips and tools helpful to be able to have an inversion practice that works for your body! If you liked this video, I’d love to invite you to be part of the Body Positive Clubhouse. It’s my monthly membership site where I post lots of yoga flows, pose breakdowns, and tips on radical self-acceptance and building confidence. Your first 2 weeks are free. Check it out!