Anxiety relief. Viparita karani is an easy inversion pose that’s quiet and calming. It helps your nervous system and doesn’t put a lot of pressure on your neck and head. The Legs-Up-the-Wall is a “non-doing” pose that’s all about relaxing your body and letting go of the tension you’ve been carrying.
What to Know About Legs-Up-the-Wall Yoga Pose
Yoga is a mindful practice that helps you relieve stress and improve flexibility. Yoga can be as intense and involved or therapeutic and relaxing as you’d like. The Legs-Up-the-Wall pose, also known as viparita karani, inverts the body without straining the head or neck. This pose is excellent for reducing stress and anxiety, and it is easy for beginners.
What Are the Legs-Up-the-Wall Yoga Pose Benefits?
The Legs-Up-the-Wall pose has plenty of therapeutic benefits, from relieving stress to reducing headaches. To get the most from the pose, practice it once or twice a day. You can do the pose alone or use it in your regular yoga practice.
The main benefits of the Legs-Up-the-Wall pose are:
- Deep relaxation
- Stress relief
- Knee pain reduction
- Tension relief in the neck
- Alleviates tired legs
- Calms your mind
- Relieves leg and feet cramps
- Helps with backaches
- Softly opens the backs of your legs
Anxiety relief. Viparita karani is an easy inversion pose that’s quiet and calming. It helps your nervous system and doesn’t put a lot of pressure on your neck and head. The Legs-Up-the-Wall is a “non-doing” pose that’s all about relaxing your body and letting go of the tension you’ve been carrying.
Improved circulation. Legs-Up-the-Wall is good for reducing leg swelling. When you stand or sit all day, your legs can swell because your body isn’t circulating blood well. Holding your legs up in this position helps ease discomfort and keep your blood from pooling and staying in your legs. Practicing the pose reduces your risk for blood clots.
Additional benefits. The overall benefits from the de-stressing effects of this pose can help you feel better. There are claims that viparita karani can help relieve headaches or reduce high blood pressure.
How Is the Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose Done?
Below you’ll find easy step-by-step directions to get into the viparita karani pose:
- Sit on the floor with your feet on the ground and your left side against a flat wall.
- Slowly lower your back to the floor and put your feet flat against the wall.
- Gently wiggle your body closer to the wall until your sit bones are against the wall and your legs are vertically above you with both legs above your hips. You can rest your head against the floor.
- Put your pelvis in a neutral position.
- Relax your face and neck and rest your hands on your belly or beside you on the floor.
- Relax all parts of your body while keeping your legs propped up against the wall.
- You can stay in the posture for 10 to 15 minutes or whatever’s comfortable for you.
You can modify this pose by putting a towel under your neck for extra support if your neck is sore. To get a deeper stretch, bend your knees against the wall and bring your feet together, making a “V” shape.
If you’re feeling pins and needles in your legs, bend your legs and hug your knees to your chest. Once the tingling stops, you can re-enter the pose.
To come out of the viparita karani pose, pull your knees into your chest and roll to one side. Rest for a moment, then slowly sit up. Shake out your legs before standing to help balance your blood flow.
Who Shouldn’t Do Viparita Karani Pose?
Like any yoga pose, some risks come with the Legs-Up-the-Wall pose. You should avoid adding this pose to your yoga flow if you have the following:
Glaucoma. The pressure shifts in this pose can cause fluid pressure in your eyes. This position puts an unnecessary strain on your eyes. Once out of the position, the pressure should return to normal after sitting up.
Excessive fluid retention. If you have a condition that causes extra fluid in your body, avoid this pose. Or get permission from your doctor. The excess fluid in your body could go back down to your heart, putting strain on it. These conditions include:
- Congestive heart failure
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
Unmanaged high blood pressure. This pose can increase your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, you don’t want to put more strain on your body. You can practice this pose after talking with your doctor and stabilizing your blood pressure.
Consult your doctor about doing the pose if you are pregnant or have:
- Heart problems
- Respiratory disorders
- Spinal disorders
- Retinal detachment
Show Sources
Amrit Yoga Institute: “3 Yoga Poses for Anxiety Relief.”
Australian School of Meditation & Yoga: “Legs up the Wall – Viparita Karani.”
Cleveland Clinic: “The Yoga Pose You Need: The Health Benefits of Legs Up the Wall.”
The Art of Living: “Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani).”
The Yoga Institute: “Viparitakarani.”
How to Do a Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, or Viparita Karani in Sanskrit, is a restorative yoga posture that offers a wealth of benefits, making it a popular choice among people wishing to relax.
It’s accessible to many people due to its ease and modifications options, making it great for people who are new to yoga or exercise. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose is often used in Hatha, Yin, or restorative yoga classes. Or you can do it on its own or as part of a cooldown.
Read on to take a look at how to do Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, how to modify the posture, and the ways it can help you.
You may place a cushion, folded blanket, or bolster under your hips. Using a higher support requires more flexibility, as does placing your hips closer to the wall. Adjust accordingly to find your sweet spot.
Bend your knees as much as you like, and if it creates comfort, you can even place a pillow between your knees and the wall. You may use a cushion or folded blanket under your head and neck.
To draw your attention inward in a practice known as pratyahara, you may wish to cover your eyes using a mask or pillow.
- Sit with your right side against the wall, with bent knees and your feet drawn in toward your hips.
- Swing your legs up against the wall as you turn to lie flat on your back.
- Place your hips against the wall or slightly away.
- Place your arms in any comfortable position.
- Stay in this position for up to 20 minutes.
- To release the pose, gently push yourself away from the wall.
- Relax on your back for a few moments.
- Draw your knees into your chest and roll onto your right side.
- Rest for a few moments before slowly moving into an upright position.
Once you’re comfortable doing Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, you may wish to experiment with different variations.
Butterfly
One option is to place the soles of your feet together in a Butterfly Pose. Bend your knees and allow your feet to come toward your hips. To deepen the stretch, gently press your hands into your thighs.
Or allow your feet to open to the sides in a wide-legged position. You’ll feel this stretch in your hips and inner thighs.
Thread the Needle
For a deep hip opening, try the Thread the Needle variation.
- Bend your right knee and place your outer ankle at the bottom of your left thigh, just above the left knee.
- Slowly bend your left knee and press your foot into the wall.
- Lower your left foot until your shin is parallel to the floor.
- You’ll feel a stretch in your right hip and thigh.
- Hold this position for 1 to 5 minutes.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Other things to try
To help keep your legs in place, you can use a yoga strap around the base of your thighs. This support allows you to relax your low back, hips, and legs.
Place a sandbag or weighted object across the bottoms of your feet. As you straighten your legs, press your feet into the bag and toward the ceiling. Actively focus on letting go of tightness in your low back.
Breathing
Let’s face it, while the goal is to go inward and be receptive, you may want to multitask a bit during this posture. Take the time to work on some of your breathing exercises. While the supine position doesn’t work for all of them, you can experiment with diaphragmatic, equal, or resonant breathing techniques.
Hand mudras
If you’ve ever found yourself fidgeting with your fingers, you may find that using hand mudras, or hand positions, helps you to feel calm and centered.
Try out some different hand mudras to bring about different states of mind or to set intentions. Aim to hold each hand mudra for at least 5 minutes.
You can also use stimulate acupressure points on your hands to bring about benefits such as enhanced energy, improved digestion, and relief of minor health conditions. Or indulge in a bit of self-massage to relieve muscle tension, anxiety, and headache.
The science-backed benefits of yoga offer a tremendous variety when it comes to promoting overall well-being, and Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose is certainly a posture worth exploring when it comes to the benefits it offers.
This passive inverted pose helps you melt into the floor as you let go of stress, anxiety, and tension. It’s an excellent choice when you have swollen legs or feet, whether it’s due to heat, a long flight, or a medical condition.
There are some other key benefits of the Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose. Doing this pose may:
- relax your mind
- provide sciatica pain relief
- improve thyroid function
- relieve headache and migraine
- increase energy
- alleviate low back tightness and discomfort
- relieve leg and feet cramps
- promote lymph flow
- manage varicose veins
- gently stretch the backs of your legs
- improve circulation
- alleviate mild depression
- improve digestion
- improve sleep patterns
- balance blood pressure
You may feel a tingling sensation in your legs and feet, especially if you hold this pose for extended periods. You may also feel as though your legs and feet have fallen asleep. If this happens, simply bend your knees into your chest before returning to the pose. Or you can shake your legs to stimulate circulation.
Avoid inversions if you have any concerns with blood coming to the head. Or if you have medical conditions such as glaucoma , hypertension, or hernia.
Many schools of yoga recommend that you avoid inversions during your menstrual cycle, especially on heavy flow days. This is a personal choice that you can make based on your experience and the advice of a teacher.
An exercise pro or yoga instructor can help to personalize and deepen your practice. They’ll be able to give you modification options based on your body’s alignment as well as any goals you have.
They can also help to bring some of the therapeutic and healing aspects of the pose to your practice. This may include helping to manage anxiety, improve thought patterns, and treat mild health concerns. They can also help guide you through the process if you should have any emotional experiences during or after your practice.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose is a worthwhile addition to your current routine, and it’s a wonderful introductory pose for those who are new to yoga. This pose can help you to get energized for the day or unwind after a day’s work. Have fun with your practice, and reach out to a professional if you’d like additional assistance.
Last medically reviewed on November 23, 2020
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