When writing about a safe variation of plough pose, I was surprised to realise I had never written about my favourite variations of legs up the wall, or viparita karani.
Legs up the wall is often best known for the benefit of triggering the parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the rest and digest response. In the basic form of the position, the purpose is not about finding a stretch – though for many of us that can take some maneuvering to find a position that is both comfortable and doesn’t stretch the hamstrings (back of the legs).
However, in these variations you can add a range of different stretches for the legs and hips, while also gaining the stress-relieving benefits of the pose.
The top left corner of the photo highlights the basic version of legs up the wall – the name pretty much says it all. Option 1 can give you a stretch for the hamstrings and inner thighs or groin. Option 2 takes away the hamstring stretch so it might be easier to find the inner thigh or groin stretch. And option 3 (my personal favourite) provides a stretch for the outer hip and buttock of the leg with a bent knee.
The video below walks you through each of the variations.
The key factor in any of these positions is that your hips need to be on the floor. If you have tight hips or hamstrings, you will need to move further away from the wall or you might even need to put a pillow under your hips.
These variations and even the photo are from my Restorative Yoga at Home booklet where you can find more detail about adapting the positions and things to avoid.
Legs up the wall is very beneficial pose from yoga and I’ve written about its stress relieving benefits many times!
