Inversions 101: How I Learned to Do a Handstand

In my crowd, I've always been the one with an intolerance for risk, whether it was drugs, bad boys, or the stock market. I'm a Virgo through and through: introverted, meticulous, concrete.

When designer gyms and spandex became the thing in the '80s, I turned to yoga -- back when you practiced on a towel in your sweats in a tiny studio with an Indian name. Yoga was my respite and release -- the breathwork grounded me, and the repetitive poses took me out of my head and into my body.

Then, at 39, I found myself ousted from the publishing job I loved, a victim of corporate restructuring after years of loyalty. So much for playing it safe.

Now I needed yoga more than ever, and suddenly there were options: studios with polished floors, hip music, and celeb yoga students with glowing skin and tight butts.

Ref.marthastewart.com