A Little Yoga Secret To Staying Healthy This Season

Published on November 13, 2008

Viparita Karani

Translation: Legs Up the Wall

Legs Up the Wall is one of the greatest Yoga secrets there is!! I swear by it!! Even if you have zero experience with Yoga, think it’s some strange religion or cult (gasp), or think its only for gaining flexibility—-you need to be doing this posture!!

Why?

Well, first, let me tell you that I do this posture EVERY night before I go to bed for at least 15 minutes…sometimes up to 30 minutes. It seems a little strange..but it is extremely relaxing. When Hansel can’t fall asleep I insist he do this posture and it always works like a charm!!! But furthermore, recently Hansel was really sick. So sick, that he had to go to the doctors–and found out he had ear, sinus, and throat infections pretty bad. I got sick too–but a minor cold for only a couple days…and I swear, my defense against this virus had to do with my dedication to Legs Up the Wall. I did it every night and every morning for at least 20 minutes while Hansel was sick, and I feel it kept my immune system top notch!!

All you need is a wall. Here’s what you do:

1. Sit sideways against the wall with one side touching.

2. Lean back, while you swing your legs upward against the wall.

3. This is when you’ll need to skoot closer or wiggle till you find that sweet spot.

4. If you have a sensitive lower back or hips it would be best to place a folded blanket under your bum before starting..this extra cush will really help.

5. Now you just relax and let the posture and gravity work on you. This is soooo good for your body…it flushes out your organs–because the blood in your legs is working with gravity now, instead of against. If your feet start to tingle, that is normal. Just put your legs into a V shape for awhile or bend your knees with your feet resting on the wall.

6. Keep your arms out to the side or at a slight angle like I did above. Do not put them over your head, because that causes your blood pressure to rise. This posture is all about relaxation.

I usually set the alarm clock on my cell phone before doing this posture, and keep it near…because many times I doze off. It’s also nice to add an eye pillow if you have one.

Just recently I received an email from Yoga Journal singing the praises of this posture, here is an excerpt:

“Many yoga teachers believe that Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose) is good for almost everything that ails you, including anxiety, arthritis, digestive problems, headache, high and low blood pressure, insomnia, migraine, mild depression, respiratory ailments, urinary disorders, varicose veins, premenstrual syndrome, and menopause.
Not only that, but it’s also one of the most relaxing yoga postures there is—and all you need is a wall to take advantage of its healing benefits.”

This is the time of year when people start getting sick…and a little prevention can go a long way!! What’s a few minutes…and everyone has walls!! Try it for a week…you’ll notice the difference.

(The painting above my feet is by Erica from BluJayStudio—you can buy a print of that same, beautiful painting HERE).

Peace & Love.