Viparita Karani: Legs Up the Wall Pose
POSE: Legs Up the Wall
SANSKRIT NAME: Viparita Karani
BENEFITS: supports the immune system, soothes headaches, alleviates PMS, promotes healthy blood pressure, gives the heart a rest by placing the feet above the heart
HOW TO: bring one of your hips up against a wall, and gently roll yourself over to the side, swinging your legs up the wall as you do. Scoot your hips as close to the wall as you can. The closer you are, the more intense the hamstring stretch will be. A little bit of sensation is ok, but don’t push your flexibility too hard here. This is meant to be a restorative pose.
This pose can be held for upwards of ten minutes. Listen to your body.
To come out of the pose, bend the knees, roll yourself over to the side and gently press yourself up to sit.
MODIFICATION: Viparita Karani with chair
BENEFITS: if your hamstrings are particularly tight, you can still reap all the benefits of this pose with bent knees supported by a chair.
Ready to incorporate this pose into your practice? Try this Spoonie-friendly yoga practice: