About Legs-up-the-Wall Pose

If you are feeling stressed from the icy and cold weather, one of the best restorative poses for reducing stress and fatigue is Legs-up-the-Wall pose or viparita karani.  Among its many benefits are quieting the mind and calming the nervous system.  It refreshes the heart and lungs, revives the legs and relaxes the back.  It is a pose that rejuvenates the entire body and enhances our life force or prana. 

To come into the pose, fold a blanket and place it the long way against a wall.  Sit sideways at the front of the blanket, roll back and swing your legs up the wall.  Feel the backs of your shoulders releasing into the floor, your chest open.  Let your arms rest  on the floor, either out to the side with elbows bent and arms slightly above your head or straight out to the side.  Your buttocks should be close to or touching the wall.  You may need to experiment with the number and positioning of blankets, finding the combination that works for your body.   Practice slow and steady breathing as your body relaxes into the pose. Your body should feel calm and at ease.

In the cold weather, it is nice to cover yourself up, draping a blanket over your feet to cover your legs and torso.   I like to stay in the pose for 10 to 15 minutes, but you can start by doing it for a few minutes.     Here is a picture of me in the pose.

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