Yoga Journal - Upside Down

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Upside Down

Looking for relaxation? Reclining in Viparita Karani can help you find serenity.

By J udith Hanson Lasater

The Oxford English Dictionary committee recently revealed thatthe most commonly used noun in English is "time." Probablywhen we use this word in daily conversation, it is to express ourbelief that we do not have enough time in our lives. We fill ourcalendars with tasks and appointments. The consequence ofliving this way is that we are stressed and seemingly have no timeto de-stress. Even in yoga classes, the final relaxation pose maybe only five minutes long, sadly not long enough in physiological

terms to provide our bodies with appropriate rest.

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) is an elegant solution.Ten to 15 minutes in the pose quiets the mind, lowers blood pressure, enlivens thelegs, and generally relaxes the body. It can be done at the end of an active practice torejuvenate, as part of a restorative series, or by itself during a busy day. Although thepose requires a few props, its soothing effects are well worth the preparation time.

To set up this pose, place the shorter end of your yoga mat against a wall. Now place abolsteror two firm blankets rolled to form a bolsterapproximately 10 inches awayfrom the wall, with the length of the bolster parallel to the wall. Fold another blanket sothat it is approximately 28 inches long and 5 inches high and put it at a 90-degreeangle to your bolster so your setup looks like the letter T. This blanket will support yourback, neck, and head.

To get into Viparita Karani, sit on your heels next to your bolster and face the center ofthe room with your right outer hip in line with the middle of one end of the bolster. Leanforward as in Child's Pose, place your right arm underneath your chest and parallel tothe wall, and simply roll over onto your back. With a little practice you will find the rightrelationship to the bolster to use this technique, and the process of getting into ViparitaKarani will become much simpler.

Once you are there, you should be a sufficient distance from the wall so that your

hamstring length allows your tailbone to drop slightly. When this happens, your naveland pubic bone will be on the same plane. Make sure that your pubic bone is nothigher than your navel. If that occurs, your pelvis is tilting forward; instead, you wantyour belly to remain open. If you are in a forward tilt, your hamstrings may be tight. Rollout of the pose and move the setup a bit farther from the wall. Remember, this pose isabout opening and relaxing, not about creating a stretch in the hamstrings, so thebacks of your legs do not need to be against the wall.

Make sure the bolster supports your lower back ribs and that your legs are straight andleaning comfortably against the wall. You may fasten a yoga strap around your legs to

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facilitate your relaxation in the pose. Place your arms out to your sides or overhead,palms up, so your arms are opened away from your body but resting comfortably. Stayin the pose for up to 15 minutes, remove the strap, and roll to the side, resting for a fewbreaths before slowly sitting up. (Avoid this pose if you are menstruating or pregnant orif you have gastric reflux or heart disease.)

Hamstring Quartet

For you to fully enjoy this pose and reap its benefits, two areas of the body need yourattention. The four hamstring muscles are the first. Three originate at the back of thefemur (thigh), and one originates at the ischial tuberosity (sitting bone) of the pelvis.Both heads of the biceps femoris (lateral hamstrings) attach to the outside of the kneeregion, while the semitendinosus and semimembranosus attach just below the innerknee. The four hamstrings work together to flex or bend the knee and to extend the hipjoint, as they do when you're preparing to kick a ball.

To do Viparita Karani with the backs of your legs against the wall, your hamstringsmust be somewhat loose. If you feel your hamstrings stretching in the pose, it will be

more difficult to relax and to drop your tailbone down toward the ground. One way toovercome tight hamstrings in the pose is to do what was suggested earlier: Set up yourbolster or blankets a bit farther from the wall. The other solution is to do a hamstringstretch or two before practicing Viparita Karani. If you are very tight, it may be sufficientto lie on the floor and draw one knee to the chest. But if you are like most students,you'll need to extend or straighten the knee while flexing the hip. The most effectivehamstring stretches are those that both flex the hip and extend the knee: Adho MukhaSvanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose), Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), orTrikonasana (Triangle Pose). If you want, you can place a second bolster or two firmlyrolled blankets between your legs and the wall to support them in the pose.

The Perfect Arch

The second area of the body to focus on in Viparita Karani is the spine. Some studentscomplain of discomfort during backbending. This may come not from the backbenditself but from the unevenness of the backbend along the lumbar spine (lower back). Ifyou are uncomfortable in backbending, you may not be relying on all five segments ofyour lumbar spine to move. Instead, you may be forcing the movement primarily at thelowest vertebral segments, the L4 and L5 joints.

For many students, Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) creates even backbends (see Posture

Perfecter). To feel this sensation, lie on your belly on a comfortable surface. With anexhalation, bend your knees and hold your ankles while pressing your thighs into thefloor. With the next exhalation, lift your shoulders and knees up to form the basket-shaped Dhanurasana. Keep breathing and note the sensation of your lower backbending evenlythis is the same sensation you're seeking for the lumbar spine inViparita Karani.

If there is not enough arch in your spine when you do Viparita Karani, your pubic bonewill be higher than your navel. With the body in this shape, the last one or two lowerback ribs will not be on the bolster; they'll be hanging off so that the spine appears and


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feels flat. Make sure that when you position yourself on the bolster, your last rib or twoare well supported by it. When you do this, your thoracic spine (upper spine) will arch,your breastbone will be lifted, and your breathing will be free. By supporting thethoracic spine's arch, you will create a moderate arch in the lumbar spine as well. Toexperience this sympathetic action of the thoracic and lumbar arches, sit comfortablyon the edge of a chair with your knees bent and your feet about 14 inches apart; asyou sit with a long spine, lift your breastbone as though you were going to drop backinto Camel Pose. Notice how both your thoracic spine and lumbar spine arch evenly

together. Now try to arch your thoracic spine without arching your lumbar spine. It willprobably feel uncomfortable and unnatural. Apply this knowledge of spinal curvature toViparita Karani.

When the lumbar spine is in an even arch in Viparita Karani, you will also feel that yourribs part to the sides a bit, creating more space for the organs of the belly and for yourinhalations. Remember that this arch is positional. It is not achieved by activelytightening the erector muscles of the posterior spine, but rather by how you positionyourself over the bolster. With the right arch, your tailbone will drop down,counterbalancing the weight of the thoracic spine moving in the opposite direction.When you are lying evenly, the sensation will be one of ease and openness without

effort.

Finally, make sure that your face is parallel to the floor. Tuck your chin slightly, so thatthe extension of the thoracic and lumbar spines does not continue in the cervical spine(neck); this will enable you to enter an introspective state. Keeping the cervical spine inflexion will help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, the "rest and heal"nervous system, and thus create the feelings of calm that we all crave. Ending yourpractice or your day with this pose will not only mitigate the effects of stress but willalso create a stronger immune system, a quieter mind, and a peaceful sense of self.

Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., is a physical therapist. She recently completedwriting Yoga Moves, a book about the anatomy and kinesiology of asana, which

wi ll be available in 2007. Her latest book,A Year of Living Your Yoga, has just

been released.

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