Legs Up The Wall Pose

Whenever I find myself stressed-out, cranky, achy, tired or just plain worn-out by all the less then delightful aspects of life I turn to one particular yoga pose, the Viparita Karani, otherwise known as Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose. This pose is soothing, relaxing and super easy to do. All you need is a clear bit of wall, a cushion for your bum and a few minutes of quiet.

To do the pose, you place a cushion near the base of the wall and then gently, as you sit next to it, lower your back to the ground and raise your legs up the wall, settling your bum on the cushion. I am by no means a yoga instructor, so you might want to look further into detail as to how best to get into this position so as not to hurt yourself. I find that I can easily get into it by just laying down and then raising my legs up the wall as I scoot my self against the wall. Sometimes I use a cushion and sometimes I don’t, it depends on my mood and how badly my hips are aching that day. Once you are comfortably in position, you can lay your arms overhead, rest them at your sides or on your stomach. Then you close your eyes and just let all your ails and anxiety flow out of you for the next 5, 10, 15, heck even 30 minutes. Just let yourself surrender fully to the soft, gentle flow of this easy, relaxed pose. Follow your breath as it soothes your spirits and soul and let your body go.

You can play some music, enjoy the silence, meditate (even use this one), practice the beauty breath or whatever your heart desires. When you are finished, roll carefully to your right side and take a few moments to let yourself re-adjust and for your blood-flow to resume it’s usual course. Legs-Up-The-Wall is such a lovely pose and one that can help so much and for further reading I suggest these articles – Viparita Karani & What Does Legs Up The Wall Do For You.

Enjoy the pose and respect and love your body for all it’s worth!

Namaste ~ Ella