21-Day Yoga Challenge to Release, Restore & Rebalance
Day Nine: Virasana ~ Hero’s Pose
The Pose: Virasana or Hero’s Pose is often my go to when I begin my practice or I come to sit for meditation. The pose is recommended to help the digestive track which can be needed at this time of year when food appears in abundance. Tight quadriceps or deeply flexing the knee may keep you from the traditional pose, but often props make it achievable and the benefits can still be received.
How To: Sit with the buttocks to the floor, the heels at the outside of the hips, and the knees together. Draw the spine long as shoulder blades draw down and collar bones broaden. Note the long line of energy from the crown of the head to the tail bone which helps create a neutral spine. With an engagement of the belly, keep the tailbone drawing toward the earth and avoid tucking or tilting the pelvis.
Use your 1:2 breathing practice: Inhale to a count of 3 or 4, pause your breath, exhale to a count of 6 or 8.
The Benefits: Many advocate for how this pose is beneficial to digestion because it lengthens the torso and relieves the heaviness felt in the belly after eating. Varisana gives your quadriceps and the tops of your feet an excellent stretch. However, one of the primary benefits is the quieting of the mind.
Tips: The traditional pose can be a tall order for many. Prop yourself to reduce strain in the knees and to find the ease and comfort in the pose. Sit on blankets, blocks (as in 1, 2, or 3!) to lift the torso and create space behind the knee. If knee pain remains, try rolling a towel behind the knees to create more space. Tops of the feet may cramp. Over time, this will lessen but in the meanwhile, prop the top of the feet with a blanket and let the toes release off the blanket. (See the photos for illustrations of modifications)
Blankets make the pose softer as well as add height to for tight hips and quadriceps
Sit on a block (or 2) to give more comfort to tight quadriceps.
a rolled blanket under the thighs can help with knee pain or add a small rolled towel directly behind the knees.
