Featured Pose: Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

by Baxter

This is one of our students’ very favorite poses (and ours, too!). Because this pose is a supported inversion, it triggers the relaxation response, so it’s an excellent remedy for stress and anxiety. And because is very comfortable for most people and the support of the wall or chair allows you to stay in the pose for 10 to 20 minutes, it allows you to spend an extended period in the Rest and Digest state, which will benefit your digestion and immune system.

The pose also provides physical benefits. It stretches the backs of your legs and the versions with a lifted pelvis open your chest and help restore the natural curve of your spine. Because the pose reverses the effects of gravity on your legs, it can help with swelling of the feet and ankles.

Baxter prescribes this for:

• leg fatigue
• peripheral edema (swelling of feet and legs)
• low back pain
• foot pain
• recovery from ankle sprains or plantar fasciitis
• stress management
• anxiety or agitation

Timing: As long as you are comfortable, hold the pose for 10 or more minutes. If your feet or legs begin to tingle or fall asleep, try bending your knees slightly to see if that helps, or come out of the pose. Using a timer may help you relax more completely. When you come out of the pose, sit for a minute or so on your prop (if you are using one) with your back to the wall before moving on. 

Cautions: This pose is generally very safe, especially version 4. Just be careful to guide yourself into the pose slowly to avoid dropping your head too quickly to the floor. Those of you with symptomatic hiatal hernias or acid reflux may not be able to lie flat, so try keeping your hips on the floor but add a prop under your chest (as in Reclining Cobblers with a blanket support for spine and head) or skip the pose entirely.  

1. Classic Version

(Sorry, photo doesn't match prop description—need a new one—although this is a good way to practice, too.)

To set up, place your mat with the short end at the wall. Then place a bolster on the mat so it is about six inches away from the wall (depending on your body type, you may need to move it further away) and parallel to it. 

To come into the pose, sit near the end of the bolster with your side to the wall, knees bent and feet on the floor. Then swivel toward the wall, extending your legs up the wall as you use your hands to slowly lower your chest and head to the mat. Make sure the back of your pelvis is resting evenly on the top center of the bolster, that your legs are straight, and your feet are hips-distance apart, with the heels resting on the wall. (If you can’t straighten your legs in the pose, try moving the bolster further from the wall or practice version 4.) Relax your arms out to your sides in a comfortable position. Once you’re comfortable, close your eyes and practice either simple breath awareness or your meditation technique. 

To come out of the pose, slide your feet down the wall and bend your knees towards your chest. Then, gently roll to one side to come off the bolster and use your hands to slowly press yourself up to sitting.  

2. Pelvis on a Blanket 

This version is a good alternative if the classic version hurts your lower back, you need padding to support a sore sacrum, or you don’t own a bolster. If you are using the pose for stretching your legs, this version provides a slightly more intense stretch. 

To set up, fold a blanket into a long, narrow rectangle that is about the same length and width as a bolster. Then set up as you would for the classic pose using the blanket in place of the bolster. To come into the pose, sit on the end of the blanket with your side to the wall, your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor. Then follow the instructions for entering classic pose, adjusting the position of your pelvis and the prop if needed. Once you are comfortable, follow the instructions in the classic version for finding a mental focus. 

To come out of the pose, follow the instructions for the classic version.

3. Legs Up the Wall with No Pelvic Support 

This version is a good alternative for those who don’t feel comfortable with the prop or who don’t have a suitable one. It’s also an excellent way to stretch the backs of your legs when they are stiff from overuse or to warm them up for other poses, and is an effective way to rest your lower back when it is feeling sore.

To come into the pose, sit with your side to the wall, about 6 inches from the wall, with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor. Then follow the instructions for entering classic pose. After you’re up, you can shift your pelvis closer or further from the wall if necessary.

Once you are comfortable, follow the instructions in the classic version for finding a mental focus. To come out of the pose, follow the instructions for the classic version.  

4. Easy Inverted Pose

This version is a good alternative for those who have low back or leg pain in the classic pose, or who just can’t get comfortable in that version. It’s also a good starting version if you want to work towards the full pose but are limited by hamstring or hip tightness.

To set up, position your mat away from the wall with a chair at one end of the mat, facing the other end. Place a folded blanket or yoga mat on the chair seat. Fold one or two blankets into long, thin rectangles the size of a bolster, and place it (or them) about a foot away from the chair seat. If desired, you can place another folded blanket on the mat to cushion your head. 

To come into the pose, sit near the end of the rectangular blanket, with your side to the chair, knees bent and feet on the floor. Then swing your calves up onto chair seat as you use your hands to guide your torso and head to the floor. If your calves are not resting comfortably on the chair seat, adjust the position of the your hips (and the prop) closer or further to the chair, as needed. Most of you will need to extend your feet through the space between the chair seat and back. Once you are comfortable, follow the instructions in the classic version for finding a mental focus.

To come out of the pose, move your knees towards your chest and place your feet on the front edge of the chair. Then following the instructions for coming out of the classic version.

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Connect

Read More

Featured Pose: Easy Inverted Pose

by Nina (with a little help from Baxter)

Supported inverted poses are some of the most wonderful yoga poses for reducing stress. By physically inverting yourself (having your heart higher than your head), you employ the natural physiology of your body (the mechanisms that control your blood pressure—see Blood Pressure: Talking About Baroreceptors and Yoga) to invoke the relaxation response. However, in order for an inverted pose to work its magic, you not only need to be able to do it, but it also must be comfortable for you. If you’re in pain or even just uncomfortable you’ll be slightly stressed, so the relaxation response won’t be triggered and you won’t be able to relax completely.

So what’s a person with a bad lower back (a problem for Supported Bridge pose and standing forward bends with head support), tight hamstrings (a problem for Legs Up the Wall pose), or tight shoulders or neck issues (problems for Supported Shoulderstand, Half Plow pose, and Supported Downward-Facing Dog pose) supposed to do? And what about people who are afraid of being upside down or have been recommended to avoid it due high blood pressure or heart disease?

The answer, my friends, is today’s pose, which Baxter and I like to call Easy Inverted pose. Resting your calves on a chair with a support under your pelvis puts your body into a slightly inverted position, so the blood flows from your legs down toward your heart (the opposite of standing upright). So Easy Inverted pose is a very calming inversion, which is also very restful for your leg muscles. (In fact, I find it so effective that I can feel myself start to relax just thinking about it!) And, yet, Easy Inverted pose is so comfortable and accessible, almost everyone can do it (hence the name). If the support under your pelvis irritates your lower back, you can simply do the same pose without it. And one of my favorite MDs (that would be Baxter, of course) assures me that this is a safe pose, too, even for people who have controlled high blood pressure, managed coronary artery disease, or glaucoma (see below for a few cautions).

You can practice this pose on its own for stress management or as an alternative to Savasana at the end of any longer practice. When I’m teaching supported inversions, this is my “back pocket” pose. When a student can’t get comfortable in any of the other poses, I pull this one out for him or her and so far have always found success! I hope you do, too.

Instructions: To set up for the pose, find a chair either with an opening through the back you can put your legs through or one your can turn sideways to let your feet dangle off of. Place a blanket or folded yoga mat on the chair on the chair seat to soften the surface. (If your legs are long, you may need to place extra padding on the chair seat.) Next, if you are not practicing on a carpet, you may wish to set a yoga mat on the floor in front of the chair (we don’t show that in the photo). Then stack one or two blankets folded length-wise about a foot or so from the chair legs (you’ll have to experiment for your body type to find the exact length). This will support your pelvis when you are in the pose. Finally have another blanket, towel or thin pillow nearby to put under your head.

To get into the pose, sit sideways on your pelvis support. Then, using your hands on the floor to stabilize yourself, swing your calves up onto the chair seat. Finally, with your legs resting on the chair seat, lie back and place your head under your head (but not under your neck or shoulders). Allow your arms to rest on the floor, slightly away from your body.

Make sure that your pelvis is close enough to the chair seat so your calves can actually rest comfortably on the chair seat (they should be completely relaxed). But be far enough away from the chair so your thighs are at a good angle (not perpendicular with the floor). Now close your eyes and allow your body to relax. (If you wish, you can put an eye pillow or silk scarf over your eyes as the final touch.)

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and move your feet to the edge of the chair seat. Then slowly, slowly, slowly roll over onto your right side for a couple of breaths. From there, slowly, slowly, slowly use your hands to push yourself up to a seated position, leaving your head for last.

Cautions:  Baxter says that although this is a generally safe pose, if you are on blood thinners or tend to have blood clots, don’t stay in the pose more than 5 to 10 minutes. For lower back problems, instead of using the lift under your pelvis, try turning the blanket the opposite away to support your torso, from your tailbone up through your head.

Subscribe to YOGA FOR HEALTHY AGING by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook

Read More

Can't Begin to Tell You

by Nina Zolotow

Path in the Mist by Brad Gibson

It was an idyllic Sunday afternoon in Seattle, warm weather, blue skies, and the company of old friends. During a lull in the conversation, J asked me, “Nina, could you show me that yoga pose you told me about, the one for stress that you said anyone can do? And could you repeat what you told me about the relaxation response and how the pose helps trigger that?”

As I did my best to demonstrate Savasana (Relaxation Pose) with legs on a chair using the lawn and the outdoor furniture as my yoga props, I reflected on how many times I get asked questions like these by my friends. And while I quite enjoy explaining the basics to both friends and students, I’ve always wished there was a place where I could send people to look up the poses and practices when they are on their own. My hope now is for this blog to become that place, an ongoing resource of practices and information that I personally have found helpful over the years.

As a long-time yoga practitioner, I’ve been using my home practice for years to help me address my changing physical and emotional needs. I’ve learned to ask myself each day, “What is the best practice for me today? Do I need to stretch to make up for a day of hiking or do I need to do backbends to make up for day spent in front of a computer? Do my problematic shoulders need attention? Or do I need to do a calming practice to restore my equanimity after a stressful day?” When my mother was dying of cancer, I was able to spend a lot of time with her. But I also understood how important it was for me to stay strong and steady for the long haul. So after each visit with her, I would come home and spend 20 minutes in my go-to relaxation pose, Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall pose). I can’t begin to tell you how helpful this was for me (and I’m someone who in the past had terrible problems with anxiety and stress).

But what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. We all have different bodies, personalities, and needs. That’s why I’m hoping to make this blog very interactive, a place where you ask questions and request information, and where we can all learn together.

For those who are interested in trying the relaxation pose I was demonstrating to my friend in Seattle, here is a short video that’s pretty good. I have one quibble with it, however. If you pay close attention you’ll notice that although the teacher first says that the folded blanket should be at the base of the chair legs, she moves the blanket away from the chair legs just she goes into the pose. Do what she does not what she says, people! The blanket should be 6 to 12 inches from the chair legs, so that the angle of your thighs when you are in the pose is easy and comfortable, and so your calves can release and relax on the chair seat. If you find the blanket under your pelvis irritates your back, you can do the pose without it.

What I love about this pose (which goes by many names but which Baxter and I are calling “Easy Inverted Pose”) is that unlike most of the other inverted poses, which can be difficult or uncomfortable for some practitioners, almost everyone can do this one comfortably.

Tomorrow we'll have our first Q&A.

Subscribe to Yoga for Healthy Aging by Email ° Follow Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook ° Join this site with Google Friend Connect

Read More