How to do the Hero Pose

The pose relieves tired legs as if a balm is applied on it. It is also a substitute to Lotus which is used in seated mediation.

POSE INFORMATION

GENERAL INFO

Name in Sanskrit: Virasana

Difficulty: Easy

POSE BENEFITS

• This pose will stretch the knee, thigh and the ankles
• It also adds strength to the arches. 
• The pose relives gas and aids digestion.
• It lowers the signs of menopause.
• It helps in treating hypertension.
• The pose lowers swollen legs during pregnancy.

POSE CAUTIONS

• Those who have heart problems should do the pose
• If you must do these when you have ankle or knee injury, ensure you have an instructor with you. 
• If you have headache, perform the pose when your back lies over a bolster

HOW TO PRACTICE THIS ASANA

ONE

Start with kneeling over the floor. Use a bolster or a folded blanket on the triangular space through the thighs and calves to enhance comfort. The thighs should be perpendicular against the floor. Try to bring the inside knee nearer.

Move the feet apart and a bit wider more than the hip suing the top of your feet to be flat over the floor. Tilt the big toe slightly nearer to each other and push the head the foot equally over the floor.

TWO

Breathe out while sitting back halfway. Your torso should bend slightly to the front. Wedge the two thumbs inside the back of the knees and pull the skin and the flesh muscles of your claves nearer to your heels. Now sit on the floor on the space between the feet.

THREE

The buttocks might not be able to stay comfortably over the floor. Then push the buttocks on a thick book or a block on the space within the feet. Ensure that the two sitting bones are equally braced. Let the space like the width of the thumb between the interior heels and the exterior hips.

Face the thighs inside and push the head of your thigh bones over the floor using the bases of the palms. Place the hands on the laps, each one over the other, and your palm facing up. Or over your thigh, let your palm face down.

FOUR

Press the scapulas over your back ribs. Carry your head of the sternum up and high. Widen your collarbones and bring down the scapulas from the ears. Extend the length of your tailbone inside the floor so as to keep the back of the body. During your first stay, stand in the pose for about 30 seconds to a minute. And consistently, stretch the period to 5 minutes.

Bringing this down, force the hands over the floor and carry the buttocks up a bit than your heels. Let your ankles cross under the buttocks. Then sit back on the feet and over the floor. To get the best out of this pose, bounce up and down your knees several times over the floor.

How to do Hero Pose (Virasana)

BEGINNERS TIP

It is common for the beginners that the inside top feet would press strongly over the floor more than the exterior top feet. In that case, press the bases of the palms along your exterior outer edges of your feet. Slowly, press the pinky-toe sideward off your feet on the floor.

MODIFICATIONS & PROPS

Do you find the ankles painful during the pose? Fold a towel under the ankles. Then sit back.

PARTNERING

Your partner will assist you to extend the spine during this pose. Start with Virasana. Then allow your partner to sit at your back. She will hold firmly your skull at the base with her thumb and her index finger suing one hand. Continue to extend the tailbone inside the floor, let the person hold over the bas of your skull.

Extend your back spine through the ‘poles.’ Bring down the crease of your neck to the space within the base of your skull and that of the back neck

VARIATIONS

Clasp the hands. Stretch the arms to the front in a way that is perpendicular against the body. Face your palm from body to let the thumbs face the floor. Now push up your arms while breathing out and your palms turned to the ceiling. Strongly, stretch to the ceiling and between the bases of your index fingers.