Lower back, hips and ankles
Viparita Karani: Variations (One Leg Up, Wide Leg, Butterfly)
One leg up targets unilateral drainage and creates a gentle asymmetrical stretch, helpful for addressing side-to-side differences in your hips and legs.
How to do it
- 1
Lie on your back and take one leg up
The heel rests against the wall with the knee soft.
- 2
Let the other leg rest along the floor
Straight along the floor, or with the knee bent and the foot flat, whichever leaves the pelvis level.
- 3
Keep both hips evenly on the floor
This version is deliberately one sided, so the pelvis wants to twist. Lower the raised leg's angle rather than allowing a twist.
- 4
Rest the arms and stay for five to ten minutes
A cushion under the pelvis is fine if that helps the back settle.
- 5
Change sides and give the second side the same time
Move slowly between sides so the pelvis resettles before you start again.
What to watch for
One hip lifting or the pelvis twisting as the raised leg pulls. If you cannot keep both hips even, lower the leg angle, bend that knee, or take both legs up instead.
Ways to adjust it
- Bolster
- Classic
- Reduce angle
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.
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 sessionFrom the clinically authored Vinys movement library.