Lower back and legs
4 Legs Up The Wall variations, from gentlest to strongest
Also called viparita karani, legs up wall pose, legs elevated.
Lying with the legs resting up a wall or on a chair. It takes the load off the lower back completely and asks nothing back, which makes it one of the most reliable positions in the library on a bad day.
Start here
The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Viparita Karani: Legs Up Chair is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.
Every version in the library
1 · Restorative · 300 to 900 seconds
Viparita Karani: Legs Up Chair
Legs resting on a chair at ninety degrees provides maximum lower back decompression without needing a wall: excellent for soothing tired, compressed spines.
Make it work for you: Move slightly further from the chair: less hip and lumbar flexion. Sit slightly further from the chair. Reduce hip flexion
2 · Restorative · 300 to 900 seconds
Viparita Karani: With Bolster
The bolster under your sacrum creates a gentle lift that enhances spinal decompression, making this restorative pose accessible and therapeutic for all back types.
3 · Restorative · 150 to 290 seconds
Viparita Karani: Variations (Wide Leg, Butterfly, Crossed Ankle, Twist)
With your legs resting up the wall, they open wide, fold into a butterfly, cross into a figure-4 and drop gently to each side, easing stiff hips and inner thighs without any effort.
Make it work for you: Skip the twist. Smaller openings. Viparita Karani: Classic
4 · Restorative · 300 to 900 seconds
Viparita Karani: Classic
Gravity-assisted spinal decompression with your legs up the wall, reducing swelling, calming your nervous system, and gently releasing your lower back.
Make it work for you: Bolster under pelvis. Bent knees. Reduce hip angle
Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.
Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.