Viparita Karani, to my mind, literally means putting one’s feet up at the end of the day. It is easy to learn and wonderfully simple to do. Unless you have glaucoma, heart problems, a recent injury or surgery, high blood pressure, neck and back issues, or any medical condition that could make an inversion unsafe, then don’t.
Yoga can be intense and involved, or therapeutic and relaxing. Viparita Karani belongs firmly to the latter category. It is a mindful, restorative practice that encourages relaxation, quietens the mind and slows the heart rate, and helps with stress and sleep. Even beginners take to it easily. Just two weeks into the practice, I discovered why this deceptively simple posture has become such a favourite of mine.
Top of the list, in my book, is what it does at the end of the day. Just 10 quiet minutes with your legs up the wall, breathing slowly and deeply, can become a wonderfully calming bridge between a stressful day and bedtime. I do it last thing at night. Then I slide under the covers and fall asleep almost immediately. For me, that is nothing short of remarkable.
Viparita Karani is an easy-peasy Yoga asana. Turn off the lights and put your phone away. Lie on a bed or the floor, swing your legs up onto a wall, tailbone close to the headboard or wall, let your arms fall open, close your eyes and breathe — slow and steady, with elongated exhales. No stretching. No effort. No force. Gravity does the work. And somewhere in those 10 quiet minutes, the nervous system gets the message: the day is over; it is safe to let go.
The posture can also help relieve the feeling of tired, heavy legs after hours of sitting or standing, while the stillness and slow breathing encourage the body’s relaxation response. But the most wonderful benefit for me has been something I didn’t expect. The 3 a.m. waking pattern that began two years ago, after my mother passed away, has stopped. Ten minutes every night with your feet up. And your mornings may start arriving differently.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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