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Viparita Karani Asana Yoga ( Legs Up The Wall Pose ) | Viparita Karani Asana Yoga

Viparita means inverted while ‘Karani’ refers to action. In this posture the body will remain in an inverted position.Yoga practitioners consider it as a pose that improves pelvic circulation and increases the blood flow to face, neck and thorax and improves the functioning of adrenal, pituitary and thyroid glands. It is also referred to as legs-up-the-wall pose.

Fold a sticky mat up in half and place it up against a wall. Fold a blanket up and place it on top.Place the bolster slightly way from the wall to leave room for the buttocks to drape down. If you’re stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you’re more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you’re shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall.

Bring the lower back onto the floor while bringing the legs up the wall. Keep the upper body supported with the elbows on the floor.Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall. Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don’t get discouraged.The ideal is that the pelvis be horizontal and the trunk and shoulders hang down allowing the chest to open. Adjust the height to your needs.

If you cannot have the backs of the legs against the wall without the pelvis tucking up toward the ceiling, or if the legs will not stay up, then move a little further away from the wall as necessary. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you’ve probably slipped a bit off the support.Slowly release the elbows and lower the whole back down to the floor.If you are comfortable, stay here several minutes.

Rest the backs of the hands on the floor. Hold this position for several minutes.To come out of the pose, either bend the knees and come into Baddha Konasana or Sukhasana up the wall.Don’t push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin. Take a small roll under your neck if the cervical spine feels flat.To come out, bring the knees into your chest and roll to your side.

Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis.Press yourself off the padding until the hips rest on the floor. Stay here for a moment. Roll over onto the right side and press yourself up.Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift your pelvis off the support.

Viparita Karani Asana Yoga Pose Benefits:

1.Achieves many of the benefits of inversions in a supported, gentle pose.

2.Calms the mind

3.Relieves mild backache

4.Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck

5.Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet