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Lower back, hips, knees and ankles

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.

Restorative300 to 900 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit sideways with one hip close to the wall

    Knees bent, shoulder near the wall, ready to roll.

  2. 2

    Swing your legs up as you lie down

    Roll onto your back and take both legs up the wall, then shuffle the hips as close as feels comfortable. Close is not a target.

  3. 3

    Let the legs rest rather than hold themselves straight

    The wall carries the legs. Keep the knees soft and move further from the wall if the backs of the legs pull.

  4. 4

    Settle the arms and let the breath slow

    Nothing here needs muscular effort. A folded blanket under the head is welcome.

  5. 5

    Stay for five to fifteen minutes, then roll over

    A bolster under the pelvis or bent knees are both good options if lying flat gets uncomfortable during a long stay.

What to watch for

The pelvis tucking under and the lower back pressing hard into the floor because the legs are being held straight. Move further from the wall or soften the knees so the lower back keeps its own shape.

Ways to adjust it

  • Bolster under pelvis
  • Bent knees
  • Reduce hip angle
  • Bolster under knees

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Legs Up The Wall versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

Before you try it

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.

Also part of sessions for

Burnout

Each of those explains what the condition is, what the published guidance recommends, and where this movement fits.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.