Virasana

Hero Pose ( Virasana) is a seated pose that is a great stretch for the quadriceps. Virasana is conducive to keeping your shoulders over your hips, which helps align the spine so that your back doesn't ache while you are sitting. This pose is actually easier and more comfortable for most people than sitting cross-legged, especially if you place a • Keep your knees together as you separate your feet to either side until they are about 18 inches apart. This distance will vary somewhat depending on your size, but basically, you are spreading the feet apart to make room for your butt to come down to the floor between them. Do note that the feet separate, but the knees stay together. • Exhale and lower your butt to sit onthe floor between your feet. You may need to manually move your calf muscles out of the way to make this happen. • Make sure that you are not sitting on your feet, but rather between them with the tops of your feet on the floor (meaning the toes are not tucked under). • Your feet should point straight back, turning neither inward nor outward. • Slide your shoulders away from your ears. Rest your hands in your lap. • Remain in the pose for one minute or more. • Release by pressing your palms into the floor and lifting your butt. Cross your ankles beneath your body and extend your legs into Dandasana). Safety and Precautions Be very careful of the knees in this pose. If you have any knee pain, try raising the hips more by sitting on a block or two to decrease the ...

Since 2017 the Arhanta Online Academy brings our courses to everyone who wants to take their teaching and practice to a new level. Whether you choose to follow a teacher training, a continued education or a short course, you can expand your knowledge and deepen your practice wherever and whenever suits you. • In their upright kneeling form, these poses look similar - but the leg position is different. To put it very simply, in Virasana you kneel sitting BETWEEN your feet, while in Vajrasana you kneel sitting ON your feet. Both poses require ankle and foot • Sitting between your feet in Virasana requires a lot of internal rotation at the hip, as well as rotation and extreme flexion at the knee. • Vajrasana requires full flexion at the knee, but allows the hip to rest in a mid-range flexed position. These differences mean there are also differences in how you can safely enter the poses, what benefits they offer, and also what modifications might be helpful for your practice. The principle benefit of Virasana is that it encourages increased range of motion at the hip, knee and ankle, which in turn can improve joint health. Muscles placed on stretch include quadricep muscles at the thigh, and the tibialis anterior at the ankle. The connective tissues and joint capsules may also be stretched. • For both poses, a gentle stretch is acceptable but pain or uncomfortable strain should be avoided by using modifications. Injuries and unstable or sensitive joints should be treated with...

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Section divider Sanskrit (veer-AHS-anna) vira = man, hero, chief Section divider Hero Pose basics Benefits • Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles • Strengthens the arches • Improves digestion and relieves gas • Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause • Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester) • Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma Section divider How to Video loading... • Kneel on the floor (use a folded blanket or bolster to wedge between your calves and thighs if necessary), with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Slide your feet apart, slightly wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor. Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor. • Exhale and sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet. • If your buttocks don’t comfortably rest on the floor, raise them on a block or thick book placed between the feet. Make sure both sitting bones are evenly supported. Allow a thumb’s-width space between the inner heels and the outer hips. Turn your thighs inward and press the heads of the thigh bones into the floor with the bases of your palms. Then lay your ...

What is Virasana? As you go to sit your buttocks down, pull your calf muscle away from the knee and outwards. This will create more space as you go to sit down. Resist the urge to let yourself sink forward or tip backward. Shift your weight into the front of your shin bone. Keep your spine long and extend through the crown of your head. Your arms stay dynamic as they are placed on your knees and your chest and shoulders stay open, allowing you to take deeper fuller breaths. When to use Virasana? This pose can be used separately from your regular practice, for seated meditation. Making sure your back stays straight and your chest stays open and pointing straight forwards requires a certain amount of concentration. This means that this pose is very useful for calming your mind and for drawing your focus to the present moment. Virasana is also typically assumed after inversions as a way of helping you rechannel your blood flow and get grounded before carrying on with the rest of your practice. Sometimes, the arms are lifted up in This position allows the practitioner to gently stretch their knee joints, promoting health and mobility in the knees. For this reason, it is recommended to those suffering from rheumatic pains in the knees. However, if the full pose is too hard on your knees, it is recommended that you place a block or folded blankets under your buttocks. If this is still too much, it is best to substitute it with other seated poses, such as This is one of the few p...

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! When I signed up to take my first meditation class years ago, I was concerned that all the other students would be seated comfortably in Lotus Pose while I struggled to even sit cross-legged. I remember feeling so relieved when, at the beginning of the class, the teacher guided us to find any sitting position that we felt would be comfortable for us for the duration of the practice. One student sat in a chair, a few students chose The traditional version of Sitting in Virasana can be challenging for many of us, particularly those with limited ankle or knee mobility or a knee or ankle injury. But there are many variations of the pose that can allow you to find a comfortable seat while respecting your needs. See also: 5 Virasana (Hero Pose) variations Video loading... Preparation (Photo: Andrew McGonigle) 1. Virasana with heels under you in Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose) Compared to Virasana, this pose places more weight on your feet and ankles, which form the support for your seat, but your knees don’t have to bend quite as deeply. Start kneeling with your knees and big toes touching. Slowly sit back onto your heels. Hug your outer ankles toward each other and press down evenly across the tops of all ten toes. Stack your shoulders above your hips and find a neutral spine. Place your hands on your thighs or rest them in your lap. (Photo: Andrew McGonigle) 2. Virasana wit...

Common Hero Pose English Hero Pose Sanskrit Virasana All Hero Pose, Virasana Level Intermediate Position Type Koshas Yoga Styles show more... show less Sanskrit Pronunciation Play Audio (Sorry, your browser does not support playing audio files.) Chakras Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana Chakra), Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra) Doshas (Ayurveda) Pit ta, Kapha Elements Water, Earth Tags Are you a yoga teacher? List of • • • My Sequences Are you a yoga teacher? Try • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Wide Hero Virasana, where 'Vira' = 'Hero' and 'Asana' = 'Pose' is an Hero Pose (Virasana) is a relaxing pose for the Hero refers to someone admired for their courage and doing the right things. Similarly, in this pose, the hero refers to the students who perform the pose to have a relaxed body and mind by fighting the inner turbulence. Regular practice when the pose is performed without any distraction, it may help you embrace your spiritual side. Therefore, the pose has been added to The pose should be done at empty stomach as during the pose the pressure is on the bowels. Therefore, yoga teachers recommend their students to perform the pose in either early Virasana - Devotion and Heroism are Virtues that Depicts Warriors According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP), 'Veerasana' also known as the Hero’s Pose, is the practice of 'kneeling on one knee'. It means 'kneeling on one knee' or 'hero-sitting' or 'sitting posture practiced by ascetics' in Sanskrit. The Pradipika also quotes However, wit...

The name comes from the Sanskrit words वीर vira meaning "hero", and आसन āsana meaning "posture" or "seat"; supta (सुप्त) means "reclined". The name virasana is ancient, being found in the 8th century Patanjalayogashastravivarana (2.46-48) and the 13th century Vasishthasamhita (1.72), but in those texts the description is of a cross-legged meditation seat. The yoga scholar Primitive Gymnastics. Description Virasana is a basic kneeling asana and the starting position for several forward and backwards bends and certain twists. Virasana may also be used as an alternative to other seated asanas such as the Virasana places the knees at risk of injury if hip extension and rotation are inadequate, in which case the pose requires support under the buttocks to allow the hips to extend. The pose should be avoided if there is any existing knee injury. Adho Mukha Virasana (downward facing hero pose) has the body stretching forward and down, the hands reaching forward to the ground. Supta Virasana (reclining hero pose) has the body reclining on the back, the hands either beside the thighs or stretched over the head. Eka Pada Supta Virasana (One-Legged Reclining Hero Pose) or Ardha Supta Virasana (Half Reclined Hero Pose • . Retrieved 15 November 2018. • Sinha, S. C. (1 June 1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications. p. 18. 978-81-7041-293-9. • . Retrieved 22 January 2019. • • ^ a b c • Maehle, Gregor (2011). Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy. New World Library. p. 57. 978...

Virasana is a relatively basic seated posture, but it requires some flexibility to perform. In addition to building flexibility and stretching the legs and feet, this asana also has a very calming, soothing effect on the mind. In spiritual practice, virasana energizes the root chakra, helping the individual feel more rooted and passionate. To enter this asana, kneel on the floor with the feet slightly more than hip-width apart. Sit on the floor between the feet, keeping the spine straight and spreading the shoulders across the back. The palms should rest on the thighs. If sitting all the way down is difficult due to limited flexibility, a block can be placed between the feet for extra support. The name for this asana comes from the Sanskrit roots vira, meaning "brave person" or "hero," and asana, meaning "pose." Virasana is also known as hero pose in English. Practicing virasana stretches the ankles, knees and thighs, and greatly improves their flexibility. It also strengthens the arches of the feet. This asana has a number of mental benefits as well, including: • Calms the mind • Improves focus • Relieves stress • Strengthens the mind • Aids in meditation As part of a spiritual yoga practice, virasana activates the muladhara (root chakra), which is located at the base of the spine. Energizing the muladhara promotes a sense of security and is also associated with health, passion and abundance. Additionally, virasana is beneficial for those who suffer from high blood pressu...