Virasana
(Hero Pose)
The literal meaning of Vir is Hero or chief.
Virasana is a balm for tired legs at the end of the day, as well as an alternative to Padmasana for seated meditation.
 Asana technique:
With your thighs perpendicular to the floor, Kneel on the floor (on a folded blanket to pad your knees, shins, and feet if necessary), and touch your inner knees together.
Slide your feet apart, slightly wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor.
Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor.
With your torso leaning slightly forward, exhale and sit back halfway.
Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet.
If your buttocks don`t comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or thick book placed between the feet. Make sure both sitting bones are evenly supported. Allow a thumb`s-width space between the inner heels and the outer hips.
Turn your thighs inward and press the heads of the thigh bones into the floor with the bases of your palms.
Lay your hands in your lap, one on the other, palms up, or on your thighs, palms down.
Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum like a proud warrior.
Widen the collarbones and release the shoulder blades away from the ears.
Lengthen the tailbone into the floor to anchor the back torso.
At first stay in this pose from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually extend your stay up to 5 minutes.
In order to come out of the posture, press your hands against the floor and lift your buttocks up, slightly higher than the heels.
Cross your ankles underneath your buttocks, sit back over the feet and onto the floor, then stretch your legs out in front of you.
It may feel good to bounce your knees up and down a few times on the floor.
If your ankles are painful in this pose, roll up a towel and place it underneath them before you sit back.
Benefits of Virasana
Thighs, knees, and ankles gets stretched and toned.
The posture strengthens the arches.
Improves digestion and relieves gas
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma
Precautions
The asana is not recommended in case of Heart problem.
For headache: Practice this pose lying back on a bolster.
For Knee or ankle injury: Avoid this pose unless you have the assistance of an experienced instructor.
To challenge yourself further: Clasp your hands, extend your arms forward (perpendicular to your torso and parallel to the floor), turn the palms away from your torso (so the thumbs point to the floor), then raise the arms on an inhalation perpendicular to the floor, with the palms facing the ceiling. Stretch actively through the bases of the index fingers.
|
