Legs up the wall yoga pose, or Viparita Karani in Sanskrit is an inverted pose, belonging to the same family as headstands and handstands.
Legs Up the Wall is especially nice after a long day of sitting, standing, or traveling. You can do it anywhere for a refresh if you’re feeling stiff, stale, or stressed.
Benefits of Legs Up the Wall Pose?
There are a handful of benefits of the Legs Up the Wall Pose including:
- Reducing Swelling and Fatigue In the Feet
Swollen feet are a common issue. The effect of the Legs Up the Wall Pose can be felt almost instantly as the blood begins to drain from your feet. A few minutes in this pose can lead to significantly less swelling. - Relieving Tension and Stress
Most of us know from experience that yoga is a calming practice, but to further prove this point, researchers studied the impact of yoga on nurses in Japan. The study found that nurses who practiced restorative yoga (which included Legs Up the Wall) had lower levels of occupational stress after four weeks. - Stretching the Lower Back and Hamstrings
Legs Up the Wall is mostly a passive pose, but when you’re in it, you will feel a bit of stretching in your lower back and hamstrings as you work to keep your legs upright. - Improving Circulation
Spending time in Legs Up the Wall is great for circulation because it puts your feet and legs above your heart, improving blood flow. - Aiding with Digestion
As Legs Up the Wall helps relieve stress and improves circulation, it may also help with bloating and other digestive issues you might be dealing with. After all, the gut and the brain have a strong connection. - Relieving PMS Symptoms
If you struggle with sleep around your period or at any point in your cycle, Legs Up the Wall can help. One study found that keeping up a regular yoga practice (and this practice included Legs Up the Wall) reduced sleep disturbances in people who suffered from PMS. - Viparita Karani for Hypothyroidism
Viparita Karani asana, due to its ability to drain blood from the legs to the area that remains flat during this posture, might be able to maintain the thyroid gland health, and it may further have some effects to normalize the functions of the gland and reduce the occurrence of hypothyroidism.
How to Do It
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing Legs Up the Wall Pose safely and correctly.
- Place Your Chosen Support a Few Inches Away From the Wall
This can be a blanket, a blanket stack, or a bolster. Technically you don’t need any props, but to make this pose as stimulating as possible, people use one. - Sit Between the Edge of the Prop and the Wall
Your goal is to get one side of your body as close to the wall as possible, so sitting on the edge of your prop (rather than sitting on top of it) can be helpful. - Scrunch As Close to the Wall As Possible
Press the side of your body against the wall. Make sure your knees are bent and your feet are drawn in toward your hips to help you wiggle closer. - Swing Your Legs Up the Wall As You Turn to Lie On Your Back
Once you’re up, you’ll be centered on the prop with your legs and seat against the wall. The blanket support should trap you perfectly so you are almost suctioned against the wall, which should feel very supportive - If the Positioning is Off, Modify It
If your body is still slightly off the wall once you’re in position, you can bend your knees, place your feet on the wall, lift your pelvis, and scoot your tailbone closer so that you’re snug between your support and the wall.
This pose is also known as ‘Bottom of the Lake Pose, because the way the support of the wall catches you should create a soft, relaxing, pooling feeling in your groin and belly as the blood flow reverses. You should be able to breathe deeply and completely relax here.
How Long Should One Do?
You can hold your Legs Up to the Wall for two to 20 minutes. If you feel pins and needles or a tingly sensation in your legs and feet, reset by bending your knees towards your chest and re-extending your legs when you’re ready.
Who Shouldn’t Do Legs Up the Wall Pose?
People who are more than 20 weeks pregnant or have glaucoma or hypertension should take extra precautions when doing Legs Up the Wall or avoid it altogether.
Patients with weak bones or suffering from musculoskeletal disorders must avoid challenging yoga forms like inversion poses. It may cause further damage to the bones and cause complications.
5 Variations to do Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
Variation 1: Legs Straight Up
This is the most traditional variation, where the legs rest straight up the wall. The legs can be any comfortable width that feels natural for your body. If it feels comfortable for you and makes sense for your body, see if you can let the head of your thigh bones drop deeper into the sockets of the pelvis.
Your toes may naturally point forward, or, if it is more natural for your hips to rotate outward or inwards let them do so and your legs and feet will turn out or in respectively.
Your arms can rest anywhere that feels comfortable, this might be in a cactus position which opens gently through the chest and shoulders, resting on the belly which can help you connect to the breath, or palms up or down at your sides.
Variation 2: Wide-Legged
From Variation 1, let your legs drop out to the sides in a straddle position. You may feel the stretch intensify somewhere in the legs (hamstrings, groins inner thighs, outer thighs).
The effect of gravity naturally drawing your legs down can feel wonderful for some people, and uncomfortable for other people. You can keep your legs in a smaller V shape by engaging the legs or letting them drop wider depending on what is comfortable.
Variation 3: Butterfly Legs
From Variation 1, bring the soles of the feet together and let the knees drop out to the side. Slide your feet down the wall coming into a diamond shape with the legs. The legs can be in a loose diamond shape, or you can bring the feet closer to the groins.
You can also push gently on the inner thighs to intensify the hip and groin stretch.
Variation 4: Figure-Four
From Variation 1, keep one leg extended straight and bring the other into a figure four shape, by bending the knee, opening the hip, and resting the ankle on the extended leg either somewhere on the shin or thigh (anywhere but the knee!), to create a hip opener. If you have any knee issues, flex the foot of the figure-four leg. Repeat on the other side.
For the second version, from Variation 1 if you are very close to the wall shuffle away from it about a foot. Bend one leg and place the sole of your foot on the wall –– you may need to move further away or come closer to the wall depending on the length of your shins. Come into a figure four shape with the other leg, resting the ankle on the thigh. Repeat on the other side.
Variation 5: Chair
This is a great variation if you have limited mobility and find it hard to lie down or stand back up without support as you can use the chair to help you. It’s also a good alternative if your legs go numb very quickly in Variation 1, as the feet aren’t elevated above the knee.
Set your chair at the bottom of your yoga mat/blanket/floor space. If your chair has a closed backrest turn it sideways so your legs can extend across the seat of the chair. Feel free to add a cushion or folded blanket to on the chair for extra comfort. If you are doing this at home, it is nice to do it with a squishy armchair or sofa. Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor a few inches in front of the chair. Place one calf on the seat of the chair, and then the other one. Relax!
This yoga asana comes under a special category of yoga postures that must be practiced only by experts and experienced yoga enthusiasts and professionals, with extreme care.
