Category

Reclining

Level

intermediate

Hold

30 seconds to 1 minute at first; 3–5 minutes with props in a Yin-style hold

Type

Asana

Breath

Long, even breaths into the front of the ribs and belly.

Reclining Hero

Supta Virasana — "reclining hero pose (supta = reclining, vira = hero)"

Also known as: Fixed Firm Pose, Saddle Pose

From kneeling between your heels, you recline back toward the floor, stretching the front thighs, hip flexors, and ankles. Known as Fixed Firm in Bikram and Saddle in Yin — and in every tradition, a pose to enter gradually.

Step by step

1. 1Kneel with your knees together and your feet just outside your hips, tops of the feet on the floor.
2. 2Sit your hips down between your heels — if they don't reach the floor, sit on a block or bolster and stay upright instead of reclining.
3. 3Walk your hands back and lower onto your forearms, pausing to check in with your knees and lower back.
4. 4Only if the front thighs stretch without knee pain, continue down onto your back or onto a bolster.
5. 5Keep your knees pointing forward and no wider than your hips.
6. 6Rest your arms at your sides or overhead, and breathe steadily.
7. 7To come out, press onto your forearms, then your hands, and lift your torso back upright before swinging your legs free.