- Category
- Inversions
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 5–15 minutes
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Natural, unforced breathing; let the exhale grow longer on its own.
Legs Up the Wall
Viparita Karani — "inverted action"
Also known as: Waterfall
Lie on your back with your legs resting up a wall. The gentlest inversion there is — no strength, no balance, no neck load — and one of the most reliably restful poses in all of yoga.
Step by step
- 1Sit sideways next to a wall with one hip touching it.
- 2Lie back and pivot so your legs sweep up the wall as your shoulders come to the floor.
- 3Scoot your hips as close to the wall as feels comfortable — a small gap is fine.
- 4Let your legs rest fully against the wall, feet relaxed.
- 5Rest your arms at your sides or on your belly, palms up.
- 6Close your eyes and stay for several minutes, letting the floor hold you.
- 7To exit, bend your knees, roll to one side, and rest there a moment before sitting up.
Benefits
- ✓ Rests tired legs and feet after standing, walking, or travel
- ✓ Provides the quieting effect of an inversion with almost zero effort
- ✓ Gently stretches the hamstrings and lower back
- ✓ Easy to hold long enough for the nervous system to genuinely settle
- ✓ Accessible on days when nothing else in a practice feels possible
Make it yours
- · Place a folded blanket or thin bolster under your hips for a soft lift.
- · Bend your knees and rest your calves on a chair seat or sofa if straight legs feel intense.
- · Let your legs fall gently apart, or into a bound-angle shape with soles together, for variety.
Take care
- Even this gentle inversion may feel uncomfortable with certain eye conditions such as glaucoma — keep it short and see how you respond.
- In later pregnancy, long periods flat on the back can feel unpleasant; use a side-lying rest instead if it does.
- If your legs tingle or fall asleep, bend your knees or take a break — no need to push through.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one
- Wrist wedge — Reduces the wrist angle in plank, chaturanga, and arm balances. Worth trying before concluding your wrists can't do this. find one
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