Yin Style Reclining Hero's Pose ~ Supta Virasana

Enjoy Yin Style Hero's Pose

Restorative style Virasana, as explored in the previous post, is a great place to start lengthening your quads. But at some point your body may be open enough to try Yin style Virasana, known as Saddle Pose. One of the beautiful things about Yin is that there is not a huge need for props like there is with Restorative. But still, there is some prep work involved.

Setting up for the pose:
For this version of Virasana, I like to start by laying on my back. Some folks are limber enough to sit on their shins with their bottoms on the floor and then lay themselves down backward but for most folks that is a bit much to start with.

Coming into the pose:
So, laying on your back, roll a bit to one side, bend your top leg's knee and pull that foot toward your bum. Try to roll back to the floor. This is Half Saddle or Half Reclining Hero's Pose.

As you linger here, you may find yourself wanting to pull your other leg in and open like so:

If these both seem crazy but you want a bit more stretch than the Restorative style Hero's Pose is giving you, then I recommend trying Supported Bridge Pose with a quad stretch:

This is nearly the same effect, as far as stretching the quads, but it gives you more space to tuck the foot towards the same side hip since the bum is off the floor. You can turn the foot under (toes point toward the same side shoulder) or you can draw the ankle toward you and keep the toes pointing away. Do one side at a time and try to maintain good alignment: shoulder, hip, knee in the same line. This video by Kira Ryder details the process.

While in the pose:
Keep breathing, keep observing the pose in your body, and allow the body to open at its own rate. Commit to the stillness but do allow yourself to adjust your body as you settle deeper in. Breath into any places where you habitually grip and try to soften. Stay as long as you are comfortable.

Coming out of the pose:
If you are in Supported Bridge Pose, lift your bottom, slide the block out from under you and come to rest on the floor. If you are already on the floor, roll to one side slightly and untuck one foot and then the other. If you were practicing 1/2 Hero's take the 2nd side. After the second side you can be done or you could try the full version of the pose. Take a few sacrum circles and then Little Bridge Pose to bring back stability.

This posture was super hard for me at first. I thought I had knee trouble but it turned out it was just tight quads. After a few months of practicing this posture regularly - starting with the Restorative style supported Hero's and eventually working to the Yin style Hero's - my knee discomfort has gone away.

Supported Reclining Hero's Pose ~ Supta Virasana

Enjoy Supported Reclining Hero's Pose

Hero's Pose can be a very tricky posture to come into for anyone with knee issues, tight quads or low back/SI joint problems. Luckily, with props, this posture can be made available to most people--comfortably--not just to "get through it."

Setting up for the pose:
Gather a number of different props: a few pillows/bolsters, a few blankets, and a couple of blocks. Test your ability to sit on your shins with your bum on the floor between your feet. If this does not happen for you in an upright, seated position, it is not going to happen in the reclining version either. You need support.

Set up a bolster or a thickly-rolled blanket behind you lengthwise. Place a block, bolster, or additional pillows under the end of the bolster where your head is going to lay to create a ramp set-up. Like so:

This bolster set-up is good for Reclining Hero's Pose or for Reclining Bound Angle.

Coming into the pose:
Sit in Dandasana (sit on your bum with legs straight) in front of your bolster ramp. Get very close to your props - let your back body touch the bolster. Bend one leg and tuck your foot by your outer hip. Carefully lower your body toward your bolster ramp, coming into Supported Reclining Half Hero's Pose.

If this feels ok and you want to go for full Supported Reclining Hero's Pose, come back to seated and tuck your other foot next to your other hip and repeat the careful laying down process.

If your knees are saying "NO WAY" then you need more propping. Give yourself something to sit on - like a folded blanket or a small bolster and make your bolster ramp higher. With these modifications, most folks should be able to do this pose. I've only ever had one student who absolutely could not do it.

While in the pose:
Keep breathing, keep observing the pose in your body, and allow the body to open at its own rate. Commit to the stillness but do allow yourself to adjust your props and your body as you settle deeper in. Notice if you are gripping the knees, quads, hips or back (or of course the usual places like the jaw, forehead or shoulders). Try to let these parts soften. Stay as long as you are comfortable.

Coming out of the pose:
To come up, support the torso with the hands on the floor, and either push yourself to a seated Hero's Pose or roll to one side slightly and untuck your feet, one at a time. If you were practicing 1/2 Hero's take the 2nd side. After the second side you can be done or you could try the full version of the pose.

This posture is great for creating length in the quads. There may be discomfort in the knees to start but by lengthening the quads this problem can go away - at least for me it did. However, if the knee discomfort is sharp, stabbing or causes you to hold your breath, I would recommend doing this pose only with supervision.

Happy Exploring!