Flip dog. The name of this yoga pose (shown in the picture above) speaks volumes.The pose flips your perspective, literally and figuratively. Your eyes turn up toward the sky. Your torso, containing so many vital organs, opens up in a posture that is both freeing and vulnerable. This is the opposite of our typical, protective posture of standing tall on two legs. This pose reveals our familiar, everyday settings from a new perspective. If you are outside, you might see birds or clouds that you did not notice before, If you are inside your home, you might take note of an interesting pattern on the ceiling or a beam of sunlight that you could not see earlier.
After practicing for years, you may have done certain poses hundreds or thousands of times. How is it possible to make the same pose feel different each time? That's the magic and the purpose of yoga. With mindfulness and a curious attitude, we can find something new each time we do a familiar pose. Inversions (and some advanced poses like flip dog and wheel pose) are especially good for bringing novelty and freshness back to a practice that might have become routine and uninspiring.
Is there an area in your life that could use a fresh perspective? Over time, have things become stale or stagnant at work, in your relationships, or in your social activities? Consider practicing a pose that will flip how you view things. See what you can learn from this pose. In your daily routines, actively look for details and nuances that you didn't notice before.
Remember in "Dead Poets Society," when Robin Williams' character asked the students to stand on his desk and look at everything anew? That's exactly what a pose like flip dog can do for you.
Maybe yoga is not your thing. There are a thousand other ways to flip your perspective. Eat some food you have never had before. Cook a new recipe. Learn a different language, skill or hobby that is outside your comfort zone. Volunteer at a place where you will meet new people. You might learn something new about yourself, just when you thought you had yourself all figured out, after all these years. The world is a surprising place when you look carefully.