Supta Virasana

Supta Virasana

Reclined Hero's Pose

Above is the final pose, with no props. It aids digestion, rests the legs, stretches the abdominal organs and pelvic region. For athletes it relieves leg ache. Supta Virasana is a great pose for relaxing the body. It can help ease rheumatism, stomach ache, back pain, asthma, ulcers, heart burn, inflammation of nerves, and disorders of the ovaries.

The last benefit is why I am bringing up the pose today. My senior teacher, Carolyn Belko told me to make sure I am doing this pose before I practice each day, so I try to lay in it for about 5 minutes, but in a much gentler way, a way that I will demonstrate. You can get all the benefits of this pose using as many props as you need. It is not how close to perfect, or like Mr. Iyengar you get, it is doing the actions correctly that brings you the benefits. So take a moment grab some props and gain some relief for you body.

Props

You will need a chair that you can flip upside down, folding is best, either a yoga bolster or firm pillows, a few Mexican/ yoga  blankets or firm towels, and a brick or a few books.

With these props you will be able to get into the pose at differing levels depending on your flexibility in your hip flexor, your back, and knees, and firmness of your props.

Here are the props that you need, I am showing the "ideal" and the "household"

The bolster is against the wall, firm pillows can be used

Folding chair placed upside down
on top of a mat - I got this at
Home Depot

Mexican Blankets on the right,
 and a beach towels on the left.
Also a strap or belt to help keep the legs together.

Yoga brick or thick stack of books

Set up. 

Take the chair place it upside down on top of your mat folded two times. Set your brick. books at the edge of the seat. Place the bolster just inside the lip of the seat of the chair resting on the back bar of the back legs of the chair. The blanket/ towel goes on top and may need to be adjusted. 

Ideal set up bolster against the bar
of the chair, brick in front  and
blanket on top

Add caption

ideal side view

Household side view,
 with baby hand

Now seeing the pose. 

Videos from the side, no audio. Notice the difference in my chest and how my shoulders are able to open. That is why when possible use ideal props. When not possible use what you have and you will get benefits out of your practice.

Coming into the pose

Video with audio. Use the same technique I taught for Virasana. Sit on the brick or books if you need that extra height, you can add another brick or more books to get to a comfortable height, where your knees are together, tailbone in sitting up tall. Now keeping your back long (especially if you are using the household set up) lie back on your bolster/ pillows and feel the support of the bar in your upper back. Rest your head on the blanket, again the neck should be long, if you need to roll a blanket/ towel to create this length, that is fine.