"As most of you may know, I will be taking some R&R off over December, but that doesn't mean you should miss out completely on you yoga practice.
Each day for 12 days leading up to Christmas I will upload a yoga posture that you can try at home.
This is going to be a great opportunity for you to get stronger, leaner and healthier over the Christmas break, so you look and feel fabulous coming into the New Year"
Day 1
This pose is a passive, supported variation of the Shoulderstand-like Viparita Karani. For your support you'll need one or two thickly folded blankets or a firm round bolster. You'll also need to rest your legs vertically (or nearly so) on a wall or other upright support.
Anatomical Focus
- Legs
- Abdomen
- Chest
- Neck
Therapeutic Applications
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Digestive problems
- Headache
- High and Low blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Migraine
- Mild Depression
- Repository ailments
- Urinary disorders
- Varicose Veins
- Menstrual cramps
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Menopause
Benefits
- Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
- Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
- Relieves mild backache
- Calms the mind
Contraindications and Cautions:
Many teachers maintain that Viparita Karani is an inversion, and as such should be avoided during menstruation. Others though recommend the pose during menstration. Check with your teacher before performing this pose during menstruation. As with any inversion Viparita Karani should be avoided if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma. With serious neck or back problems only perform this pose with supervision of an experienced teacher. If your feet begin to tingle during this pose, bend your knees, touch your soles together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bring your heels close to your pelvis.
Before
performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and
its distance from the wall. If you're stiffer, the support should be lower and
placed farther from the wall; if you're more flexible, use a higher support
that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your
height: if you're shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from
the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the
placement that works for you.
Start with
your support about 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end
of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can
substitute "left" for "right" in these instructions).
Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your
shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this,
you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on
the floor. Don't get discouraged. Try lowering the support and/or moving it
slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement,
then move back closer to the wall.
Your sitting
bones don't need to be right against the wall, but they should be
"dripping" down into the space between the support and the wall.
Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of
the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you've probably
slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall
and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little
higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.
Lift and
release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your
throat. Don't push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum
lift toward the chin. Take a small roll (made from a towel for example) under your
neck if the cervical spine feels flat. Open your shoulder blades away from the
spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.
Keep your
legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the
heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso,
toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into
your heart.
Stay in this
pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to twist off the support when
coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the
side. You can also bend your knees and push your feet against the wall to lift
your pelvis off the support. Then slide the support to one side, lower your
pelvis to the floor, and turn to the side. Stay on your side for a few breaths,
and come up to sitting with an exhalation.