Do you wish to meditate, however battle to discover a comfy place to take a seat in? Your resolution may very well be to attempt one of many oldest identified yoga poses: Virasana, or Hero Pose!
Historically, the bodily observe of yoga was meant to organize the physique to take a seat for meditation. The fifteenth century textual content the Hatha Yoga Pradipika — thought-about to be the unique handbook on training yoga — consists of Virasana as one of many 15 authentic yoga poses! The Sanskrit identify, Virasana, comes from the literal translation of the phrase for “hero” or “warrior” — vira — mixed with asana, which means “posture.”
This intermediate-level seated pose advantages the physique in some ways and is usually used as a posture for meditation or pranayama observe on the finish of a yoga sequence. Many individuals expertise discomfort sitting cross-legged for lengthy durations of time as it may well trigger the lumbar backbone to spherical. As a substitute, your yoga instructor would possibly counsel Hero Pose.
Virasana, particularly when supported with yoga props, is a extra comfy choice for those who’re planning to sit for meditation or observe pranayama. Sustaining a extra upright posture (quite than the rounded lumbar backbone usually skilled whereas sitting cross legged) will promote higher respiration whereas avoiding again ache. It is usually a beautiful different to the extra superior Lotus Pose, which requires vital flexibility within the hips.
Other than bringing you extra ease in your meditation observe, there are various different advantages Hero Pose can provide!
Advantages of Hero Pose
Bodily, there’s loads occurring with Hero Pose. It’d appear to be a easy posture, however you’ll discover that Virasana does superb issues to your physique. Listed below are a number of the primary advantages of Hero Pose:
- Stretches the ankles and tops of the toes, which will help form the arches and enhance flat toes
- Lengthens the ligaments of the knees, supporting mobility and enhancing vary of movement
- Stretches the thigh muscular tissues
- Opens the hips
- Aligns the backbone, improves posture to assist in higher respiration
- Stimulates digestion with light stress on the stomach
- Energizes the legs with a rush of recent blood circulation once you exit the pose
- Calms the thoughts, builds psychological focus and focus
You’ll be able to simply see why this seated pose must be added to your common yoga observe. Maintain studying to find out how!
How To Apply Hero Pose
Hero Pose can undoubtedly really feel intense within the knees and hip joint because of the excessive flexion and inner hip rotation. You’ll want to take your time to enter the pose gently. If at any level you are feeling discomfort in your interior knees corresponding to a pulling sensation or an excessive amount of stress, come out of the pose without delay. Nonetheless, for those who transfer rigorously and hearken to your physique, you possibly can gently push your self in direction of growing your vary of movement whereas experiencing a deep stretch in varied components of your decrease physique.
- Start in Desk High, on all fours. Untuck your toes so the tops of your toes are resting in your mat
- Convey your knees nearer collectively, on the midline of your physique. Separate your toes barely wider than your hips, bringing your higher legs into inner rotation from the hips.
- Slowly press your hips again as you progress your fingers again. Press your fingertips into the ground on both facet of your physique and decrease your self down, letting your buttocks relaxation in your mat (or props) between your toes.
- Relying in your particular person physique construction, you might want to regulate your calf muscular tissues to create space to your hips to take a seat again. To do that, place your fingers on the backs of your decrease legs. Press down gently and roll your calf muscular tissues towards the outer edges of your leg as you decrease your sit bones towards the ground.
- When you’re finally sitting, carry your fingers to the tops of your thighs. Press your fingers into your legs to carry your torso, stacking your shoulders over your hips.
- Attain up via the crown of your head to elongate your backbone; really feel your torso stretch lengthy and tall.
- Pull your low stomach in and up so your core is subtly activated. Calm down your shoulders down away out of your ears; widen your collar bones in addition to your shoulder blades in order that your chest and higher again are open.
- Maintain your fingers resting on the tops of your higher thighs. You would possibly select to show your palms dealing with as much as obtain vitality, or preserve your palms dealing with right down to really feel grounded.
- Maintain this kneeling place, sit bones grounded between your ankles and toes, for a number of deep breaths. You could gaze straight forward, in direction of the ground simply in entrance of your knees, and even garments your eyes.
- When you’re prepared, exit Hero Pose slowly by bringing your fingers the ground in entrance of your and stroll them ahead to return your self to a Desk High place earlier than transferring on to your subsequent pose.
Contraindications
Training Hero Pose helps preserve the joints and ligaments of your decrease physique wholesome and cellular. Nonetheless, there are a number of situations by which Hero Pose could do extra hurt than good whereas experiencing sure medical circumstances. In these circumstances, you might contemplate substituting Hero Pose with one of many variations detailed within the following sections, and even skip it altogether.
In the event you’ve had latest ankle or knee accidents, or damage to the quadriceps (thigh muscle), you would possibly have the ability to observe a modified model of Thunderbolt Pose with the help of yoga props. In the event you undergo from arthritis, don’t try any model of Hero Pose previous to consulting a medical skilled.
For pregnant yogis of their 2nd or third trimester, you’ll be extra comfy training the Large-Legged Hero Pose variation; keep in mind to make use of as many props as crucial so that you can sit comfortably.
Learn on to be taught precisely tips on how to make Hero Pose give you the results you want, irrespective of your degree of yoga observe!
Modifications For Hero Pose (Virasana)
When training yoga, by no means danger injuring by forcing your self right into a posture, particularly in poses like Virasana that have an effect on main joints of the physique. Honor the bounds of your particular person physique construction by training Hero Pose with quite a lot of props like yoga blocks or blankets. Particularly if you’re utilizing Hero Pose as a meditative posture, utilizing these easy modifications will guarantee you possibly can sit within the pose for a number of minutes with out knee ache or different discomfort.
- Yoga Block: in case your are unable to take a seat your hips all the best way to the ground, carry the ground as much as you! Place a yoga block horizontally beneath your sitting bones to offer help and a little bit of cushion. Or, place a block on both sides of you and relaxation your fingers on high of the blocks to maintain your torso upright.
- Folded blanket: in case your knees or toes are delicate, place a folded blanket beneath the knees or the tops of the toes and ankles for further cushion. That is particularly useful for those who plan to carry the pose for some time in meditation or pranayama observe.
- Pillow, bolster, or cushion: knee ache could consequence from the acute flexion of getting your knees bent all the best way to their restrict. To keep away from this, wedge a pillow between your glutes and calf muscular tissues to scale back the flexion of the knees.
Large-Legged Hero Pose
Relying in your physique construction, the interior rotation of the hips may not be potential, for easy anatomical causes. As a substitute of kneeling together with your knees touching, preserve your knees separated at a hip width distance in Hero Pose. Apply the remainder of the pose following the identical cues as detailed above within the step-by-step directions, sitting your hips between your toes and utilizing yoga props if wanted.
Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)
One other solution to modify Hero Pose is to substitute it for Thunderbolt (Vajrasana) as a substitute. This can be a extra simple kneeling place, together with your hips resting in your heels quite than on the ground. Keep in mind you need to use props on this variation as effectively, with a view to make the pose extra comfy.
- Start on all fours in a Desk High place with the tops of your toes flat towards the ground.
- Maintain your knees aligned parallel to at least one one other and press your hips again as you stroll your fingers in in direction of your knees.
- Sit again in your heels and carry your torso, stacking your shoulders over your hips. Develop tall via the crown of your head to elongate your backbone.
- Maintain your fingers resting on the tops of your thighs; your palms could face up or down. Maintain this kneeling place for a number of breaths. When you’re prepared, exit the pose by inserting your fingers to the ground in entrance of you and stroll them ahead, returning to Desk High.
Variations of Hero Pose
As soon as you’re comfy in Hero Pose, there are various variations you possibly can attempt with a view to elevate your expertise on this seated posture. Listed below are a few of our recommendations!
Reclining Hero Pose (Supta Virasana)
This Reclining Hero variation is anxious a bit extra superior and will provide you with a deep stretch in your quad muscular tissues in addition to your hip flexors.
- Come into your fullest expression of Hero Pose.
- Lean again a bit and convey your fingers to the ground behind you, fingertips pointing ahead.
- Maintain leaning again little by little, reducing right down to your forearms and elbows. Proceed all the best way down right into a reclined place together with your higher again, shoulders, and head resting in your mat.
- Convey your arms by your sides, palms dealing with up. Keep in Supta Virasana for a number of deep breaths, releasing extra into the pose with every exhale.
- To come back out of Reclining Hero, elevate your self up in levels the identical manner you lowered down. Tuck your arms in beneath your physique and prop your self up onto your elbows; then, place your fingers on the ground and press your self up into an upright kneeling place.
You may additionally observe a extra light model of Reclining Hero by inserting a bolster behind you. Reasonably than reducing all the best way to the ground, lay again together with your again and head resting on the bolster for a much less intense, extra restorative expertise.
Revolved Hero Pose
Add a spinal twist with Revolved Hero Pose. As you sit in Virasana, attain your arms overhead with an inhale. In your exhale, flip to your proper; place your left hand by your left hip, and attain your proper fingertips to the ground behind you. Keep in your twist for a pair breaths, then gently return to your middle. Repeat your twist in your different facet.
One Leg Folded Ahead Bend
Typically additionally referred to as Half Hero Pose, on this variation you’ll lengthen one leg ahead whereas the other leg is bent into the place of Virasana.
- Start seated in your yoga mat together with your legs prolonged in entrance of you in Employees Pose.
- Rock barely onto your left sitting bone, lifting your proper hip. Bend your proper leg, tucking your proper foot near your proper hip, with the highest of your foot urgent into the ground.
- Sit up tall and attain your arms overhead as you breath in. In your out-breath, hinge out of your hips and fold ahead over your left leg.
- Maintain the stretch for a number of deep breath, then return your torso to an upright place. Launch your proper leg, returning to Employees Pose.
- Repeat Half Hero in your different facet, left leg bent and your different leg prolonged.
Hero Pose with Arm Variations
One other easy manner you possibly can mess around with Hero Pose is by attempting totally different arm positions. The chances are practically limitless, however listed here are a few of our suggestions we predict you’ll take pleasure in!
- Chest Opener: sitting in Virasana, attain each arms behind you and interlace your fingers to make one fist. Straighten your arms and draw your shoulder blades collectively, feeling your collarbones widen. Attain your one fist down towards the ground behind you and carry your chin and inch or two.
- Cow Face Arms: as soon as in Hero Pose, attain each arms out to your sides and take a breath in. As you exhale, take your proper arm up towards the sky and your left arm down behind your low again. Bend each elbows, proper fingertips pointing down, left fingertips pointing up. Attempt to contact the fingertips of each fingers collectively behind the center of your again, maybe even clasping your fingers collectively. Maintain the place for a number of breaths, then launch your arms open. Repeat the identical course of in your different facet, left arm reaching up and proper arm behind your low again.
- Reverse Prayer: whereas sitting in Hero Pose, open your arms to the perimeters. Internally rotate your arms in order that your palms face behind you. Bend your elbows and convey your palms collectively in a prayer place behind your again.
Preparatory Poses
To observe Hero Pose safely, it’s important that your whole physique is correctly warmed up. Every of those preparatory poses will goal a selected a part of the physique that’s stretched in Virasana.
Sure Angle Pose
Sure Angle or Butterfly Pose will launch your hips and stretch your interior thighs. Learn to observe Sure Angle Pose with our pose breakdown right here.
Youngster’s Pose
Balasana, or Youngster’s Pose will once more enable you to open your hips whereas stretching your again muscular tissues, permitting you to take a seat with higher posture in Hero Pose. For a reminder on correct Youngster’s Pose kind, observe this hyperlink!
Low Lunge
Low Lunge is a good pose for warming up the physique that additionally strengthens and stretches the muscular tissues of the legs and hips. So, it is a excellent pose to observe earlier than Hero! In the event you’d prefer to learn step-by-step directions for moving into Low Lunge, view our Yoga Lunge pose breakdown!
Hero (Virasana) Counterposes
Employees Pose
This seated pose follows Virasana completely: it would really feel nice to increase your legs after being in a kneeling place for a while, and your legs will get a rush of recent blood circulation. Observe the directions damaged down in our Employees Pose information.
Savasana
The final word counterpose, Savasana is an excellent pose to observe after Virasana, particularly following a meditation. Be taught all the advantages of Savasana in our final Corpse Pose information!
Widespread Questions About Hero Pose
What makes Hero Pose difficult?
Excessive flexion within the knees, and inner rotation on the hips — for some folks, anatomically, the interior hip rotation will merely no be potential. In that case, observe Hero Pose with the knees separated, or attempt substituting Thunderbolt Pose.
What’s the primary distinction between Hero Pose (Virasana) and Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)?
The Sanskrit names for these two poses are fairly related, as are the poses themselves. The principle variations are that in Thunderbolt the knees keep parallel to at least one one other, and also you sit straight in your heels. In Hero, your carry your knees collectively together with your toes to the outsides of your hips, and the purpose is to take a seat your hips all the best way to the ground (or onto a block or cushion).
