Yoga: Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani)

Legs up the wall pose (also known as Viparita Karani) restores congestion and stimulates the body’s organs.

Benefits

Ideal at the end of a busy day, this posture is a passive, restorative inversion that helps relieve oedema and congestion in the legs, stimulates and balances the adrenal glands and kidneys, increases circulation to the abdominal organs, increases circulation to the lungs and reverses the effect of gravity on the entire body.

What you’ll do

Simply place blankets, pillows or a stack of books near the wall to support the back waist, pelvis or both and then allow your upper back to lie on the floor, opening and releasing the chest.

You can either have your pelvis fully supported by your prop or allow it to hang slightly off your support. I prefer fully supported as I feel it evens out my pelvis.

The shoulders and the back of the head should be on the floor. Be mindful of maintaining a natural curve in your neck.

Then, extend your legs up the wall with slightly bent knees, allowing the legs to relax and be supported by the wall. If hamstrings are tight, prop the legs over a chair instead.

Words: Phoebe Waters and Rebecca Long
Model: Phoebe Waters // @phoebeeyoga
Photographer: Ren Pidgeon // renpidgeon.com // @renpidgeon
Stylist: Alexandra Apostolidis
Phoebe wears: American Apparel top; Triangl bottoms

 

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