Tutorial: Legs-up-the-wall pose

In this tutorial, I guide you through Legs-up-the-wall pose - Viparita Karani!

If you are feeling anxious and need instant relief, but only have a few minutes to spare, the legs-up-the wall pose or the child’s pose are great relaxing poses to sink into. I definitely recommend that you put both of these yoga poses into your “happiness-toolbox”. They are actions that you can do when you need help to boost your mood.

The legs-up-the-wall pose is actually an inversion - just like a downward facing dog, headstand or handstand - but a relaxing one. Get down on your back, put your legs up the wall, close your eyes and enjoy the positive effects of an inversion, doing “nothing”. Stay in the pose for a few minutes, or even up to 20 minutes. Do what feels good for you!

Some of the great benefits of this pose:

1. Deeply relaxing inversion pose

By having your feet higher than your heart (by inverting yourself ), the blood flows more easily to your heart and upper body. It lets your heart rest. This positive effect combined with slow, conscious breathing reduces your blood pressure and your heart rate. The legs-up-the-wall pose activates the rest-and-digest mode of your nervous system, called the parasympathetic system. It helps you to lower any levels of anxiety, stress and insomnia.

2. Increases circulation in your body

The legs-up-the-wall pose increases circulation in your upper body and head. It creates a pleasant rebalancing feeling after you have been sitting all day long, like most of us do (which causes an unbalanced and excess fluid build-up).

3. Soothes swollen and/or cramped legs and feet

By reversing the gravity, you will help release excess fluid in your legs and feet. This is normally being built-up during the day when we stand or sit a lot. The legs-up-the-wall pose increases the circulation and eases this unbalance and discomfort in your legs and feet. This makes it perfect for restless legs syndrome.

4. Relieves lower back pain

By getting on your back, you will release pressure on your spine and elongate your back. This eases any tension that you might be having.

5. Teaches you that less is more

In our daily life, we are too often pushed to work harder and to do more. This pose shows you that positive effects can come from doing less. Take this moment to center yourself and to let everything slow down. It is important to take this realization off the mat and into your daily life.

6. Fantastic stress-reduction tool that can be used anytime or anywhere

You really don’t need any yoga clothes, a yoga mat or props to do this pose. It can be done anytime and anywhere. You can do it in bed, against a tree in the park or at the office. The only limitation of this pose is your imagination.

Modifications of this pose

The legs-up-the-wall pose can be done without any props. However, in order to be able to be restfully in this pose for several minutes, I recommend that you put a thickly folded blanket under your hips and a strap to wrap around your legs. Take your time to get into a form that feels good for your body!

Avoid this pose if you…

If you suffer from low blood pressure, this pose should be avoided. This is because it will decrease your heart rate even more.

Laying on your back puts pressure on the major vein that transports blood from your lower body to your heart. If you are pregnant, this pressure will be even higher. If you feel fine laying on your back, there’s no need to worry. However, if you start feeling dizzy in this pose, just exit it.

Sending you love, happiness and ease!

Petra

Your yoga teacher at online-therapy·com