Shopper's Recovery

Shopper's Recovery

Viparita Karani

If you went shopping this morning, you probably need a little recovery time.  I've got the perfect pose for you:  Legs-Up-the-Wall!  This is a wonderful, restorative pose for any time you need a little recovery.  This pose is called Viparita Karani in Sanscrit, roughly, "reversed action".  Sounds good, doesn't it?
Legs-Up-the-Wall relieves your legs, povides a gentle stretch to your legs, low back and neck, and even calms the mind.  This is a great pose to practice during menstruation, as it seems to ease cramping.  Please avoid this pose if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma.

To begin, find a section of wall at your house that you can scoot up close to.  Sit very close to the wall, with your left hip touching the baseboard.  Gently swing both legs up, while lying your toso down on the floor.  If you're like me, you slid away from the wall already.  So just use your arms to help you scoot a little closer, until your backside is on the baseboard, or until your legs are as stretched as you like.  If your feet start to tingle, just hug your knees into your chest for a few breaths, and try again.  When you're ready to come out of this pose, just roll slowly to your right side, and rest there for a minute before using your arms to press your way back up to sitting.

Use the time in this pose to breathe deeply into your belly and to meditate.  Allow your stress to melt away...