Virasana This kneeling seated pose stretches the front of the thighs and opens the ankle joints. As it reduces blood supply to the legs, it quiets the sensations of the body, so some find it useful for meditation. When you come out of Hero Pose, enjoy the rush of fresh blood to the knees.
1 Kneel on the floor with the feet wide apart and the knees as close together as possible. As you sit down between the feet, you may like to use your hands to roll the calf flesh externally and iron it down toward the heels so that the lower leg can snuggle more closely against the outer thigh. Have the tops of the feet on the floor. Your toes need to point backward in this pose, never out to the sides, which would place the inner knee at risk. Have the thigh bones parallel. Hold the big toe of each foot with the thumb and index finger, and separate the big toe from the second toe. Continue down, spreading all of the toes apart and widening the soles of the feet.
2 Let your sitting bones come easily to the floor. From this well- grounded foundation, sit tall and draw the lower abdomen in toward the spine to get the sensation of the spine lengthening upward. Rest the backs of the hands on top of the knees, with the tip of the thumb and index fingers lightly touching. Gaze softly straight ahead or, with the eyes closed, focus on the space between the eyebrows. Stay here for as long as you enjoy deepening into your own being.
3 Once you wish to release from the pose, inhale and raise the hands above the head. With the arms stretching fully away, interlace the fingers and extend the palms toward the ceiling. This is Mountain Pose 2. A When you release the arms, allow the palms to rest lightly on the heels of the feet and fold the upper body forward, perhaps bringing the forehead to rest on the floor. B Then kneel up onto all fours.
GAZE Tip of nose.
BUILD-UP POSES One Leg Folded Forward Bend, Child Pose.
COUNTER POSES Reclining Bound Angle Pose, Head Beyond the Knee Pose, Seated Staff Posture, East Stretch Posture.
LIGHTEN a) Bring the big toes together to sit on the heels. b) Sit on a bolster. c) Widen the knees slightly. d) Have a folded blanket to pad under the inner ankles. e) Place a thin layer of fabric in the back of the knees.
EFFECT Centering.