Yoga for Beginners

Restorative and gentle yoga are wonderful ways to introduce yourself to yoga, heal an overworked body, and incorporate meditation into your daily practice. Legs Up the Wall also referred to as Viparita Karani in Sanskrit is a gentle yoga posture with a lot of benefits that is accessible to most people.

Legs Up The Wall – Viparita Karani

Here Are Some Benefits For Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani in Sanskrit):

Gentle on the body

Benefits of inverting

Healing to the body

Allows for meditation and inner ward reflection

Helps tired legs and feet feel better

Pelvic floor relaxation

Stretches hamstrings and lower back

Increases circulation

Can be modified for pregnant women

How To Do Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani):

Props:

Yoga Mat
Bolster or pillow (optional)
Eye pillow (optional)
Hand towel (optional)

Traditional Set-Up:

Place your yoga mat with the short edge against the wall.
Sit on your mat with your hip against the wall.
Swing your legs up the wall and straighten your legs against the wall as much as possible. If you back or hips are tight, you’ll need to have space between the wall and your hips to allow your knees to bend.
Lie down and place your arms out in a T shape with your hands relaxed and palms facing up.
Close your eyes and give your body permission to relax.

The minimum amount you should hold this posture for one minute. If you have the time it is wonderful to hold this posture for up to 15 minutes. This is a gentle or restorative pose depending on how you set it up. To make this posture more relaxed and restorative use a yoga strap to keep your legs together without effort.

The purpose of this posture is to bring the blood down through your legs into the vital organs. If you work a lot where you’re standing on your feet, this going to be very, very relaxing on the feet. You are going to feel all that stress just pour out of your body leaving you relaxed. Think about when people say, “Just put your feet up,” here you are putting your feet up times 10.

We are usually standing or walking around, making all your blood flow downward and our heart is doing a lot of hard pumping. This posture gives your heart a chance to relax as the blood flows into the organs without all the work. This posture makes things easier on the heart and easily allows blood to flow to the brain.

There are many modifications for this posture that create a plethora of benefits. In the video above you can see a few modifications demonstrated and there is one I would like to point out to you. This modification will assist a person to feel a sense of empowerment, balance, and confidence by healing your Solar Plexus (2nd Chakra).

Solar Plexus Modification:

Set-up in the traditional manner listed above.
Place your hands palms facing down on your solar plexus which is located around your belly button.
Close your eyes and envision orange light filling your hands and stomach.

Learn more ways to heal your Solar Plexus by clicking here.

Yoga is a slow progression and takes time and Practice. Allow yourself to try this posture at home with a few different modifications. Give your body permission to heal, relax, and open.

Yoga for Beginners