Have you ever noticed how your idea of a situation can change when you look at it from a different perspective? Repositioning our minds and bodies can have great physical and mental benefits. Sometimes we get too far into our own comfort zone that we forget that there are many different ways to look at situations. Making small adjustments and repositioning the body can work towards greater physical well-being. Here are a few changes that you can try today.

Elevating the legs: Most of us spend the majority of our time with our legs below the heart. When we are sitting or standing, gravity has a significant impact on our circulation. When carrying blood to the feet, arteries can use gravity to their advantage. However, when we are sitting or standing, veins must fight against gravity in order to get blood back to the heart.

As circulation is fighting with gravity, the legs build fluids which can cause heaviness, pain and swelling which can lead to varicose veins. On the other hand, when the legs are elevated above the heart, the pressure in the legs decreases. This favors the movement of fluid away from the legs. With the legs elevated, gravity allows flow of blood back to the heart through the veins.

Benefits of leg elevation: If you suffer from headaches, lower back pain, poor circulation or varicose veins simply lying on the floor and elevating the legs on a chair or sofa can be very beneficial. If you are simply seeking a different perspective, leg elevations certainly will provide it.

Body Inversions: It may sound daunting at first, but body inversions can be done in many ways. The health claims are astonishing. Inversions have been used to reverse aging, increase blood flow to the brain, regulate pituitary and pineal glands, relieve constipation, tranquilize and mellow the nervous system, and the list goes on. Responses vary from person to person, but a regular practice of turning upside down to one degree or another is soothing and balancing. For a simple inversion, begin by lying on your back on a bed. Slowly slide the back of your head over the edge of the bed until you are looking at things “upside down.” Not only does this change your perspective, it also allows for increased circulation to the brain.

If you are more comfortable with inversions, there are advanced positions available. Remember handstands that we all tried when we were children? As it turns out, those handstands, and headstands are very beneficial for increasing blood flow and stress relief. If you are comfortable trying the head or handstand, you may wish to use a wall or partner for leg support. For the headstand, you can start just simply in a tripod position with the top of the head and palms on the ground. Eventually, you may begin to lift the feet and legs upward.

Another popular body inversion tool is the inversion table. There are many types on the market today. Using an inversion table allows for the benefits of body repositioning and is adjustable for the user. The inversion table will allow as much or as little body inversion as you feel comfortable using.

Backbends: Our natural standing posture tends to be curved forward. Instinctively, we protect the front of our bodies; our throat, face and chest. We do this by taking a protective posture, covering the front of our body and closing in around it. Think about the times when you stand with your arms crossed in front, shoulders hunched forward and back rounded. We can all benefit from backbends to open the chest and front of the body and counter these tendencies that have both physical and emotional roots.

Back bends require that you take a posture that is completely opposite to the naturally protective posture we crave. In a backbend, we intentionally expose the soft, more vulnerable parts of our bodies. This feeling of vulnerability can make back bending difficult and intense for some people. Backbends encourage us to open the chest and heart, to inhale deeply — actions that symbolize embracing life. The Benefits of Backbends include strengthening the back and increase mobility in the spine; energizing both body and mind; expanding and stretching the chest and shoulders, solar plexus, abdomen, hips and thighs.

Always go slowly and gradually being mindful of the spine. Be compassionate and choose poses that are appropriate for your body. And always check with your physician before attempting body repositioning.

Carrie White spent more than 25 years in the fitness industry as a consultant, club owner, fitness trainer and attorney. She is now a professor, yoga instructor and the director of the LaunchLab at West Virginia University.