Making time to renew your energy is essential to a balanced, happy life. Most of us do way too much, myself included. Viparita karani, legs up the wall pose, is a great restorative yoga pose that calms the mind and renews the body.

Therapeutic benefits include:

• reduces anxiety and mild depression
• eases headaches/migraines
• reduces insomnia
• reduces digestive issues
• reduces menstrual cramps and is soothing for menopausal issues
• relieves tired legs/feet
• gently stretches the backs of the legs

Plus this is my go-to pose for relieving jet lag. I’ve flown from the U.S. to Asia and back many times and have had virtually no jet lag. I simply do legs up the wall as soon as I can once I’ve gotten off the plane – and each morning for 5-15 minutes.

You can hold this pose as long as you’d like. Five to fifteen minutes is a good length of time, but you’ll know when you need more or when you’ve had enough. If the backs of your legs are tight, walk your sit bones further away from the wall. If you have more flexibility, your tailbone can touch the wall.

Enjoy this healing pose.

Namaste,

Suzanne