Introduction to Restorative Yoga, Pt. 3: Legs Up the Wall

Legs up the Wall

No restorative practice would be complete without this rejuvenating gentle inversion. For the ultimate relaxation experience, place a sandbag on the soles of your feet and an eye pillow on your eyes.

Although this posture is on the gentle end of the spectrum, you should always exercise extra awareness with inversions and as for all postures, to avoid injury, understand the contraindications:
For example, those with hiatal hernia, retinal problems, glaucoma, neck issues, migraine, heart conditions or infections in the head; those pregnant or menstruating, should avoid inversions.

You could do an even softer version, with legs bent and resting in a chair or on a couch, a blanket folded under your hips.

These postures can be done individually or as a longer practice. My suggestion is to use the above order, beginning with śavāsana, moving on to the backbend, legs up the wall, and closing with the supported śavāsana.

Practicing yoga can be like having a conversation with yourself: noticing, responding, questioning, learning. I hope we can begin our own conversation, using these videos and your experiences to dialogue. I am always open to feedback, questions, and descriptions of how you experience yourself doing these practices.

Enjoy and be well – Namasté.