Benefits of Supta Vajrasana (Sleeping Thunderbolt Pose) Makes the spine flexible and tones spinal nerves. This is beneficial in strengthening the muscles involved in the asana 1. Let’s now check out the Supta Virasana benefits … In Supine hero pose, props can be used in different ways to align and hold the proper position of body; Supta virasana stretches the muscles of the back, hips, abdomen, and legs. 1/5. Iyengar touts it as incredibly healing for the knees and a curative for flat feet, many find it painful. Supta Virasana or the reclining hero rose pose is a popular yoga asana which actually originates from a Sanskrit word, where ‘Supta’ means ‘reclined’ and ‘asana’ means ‘posture or position’. Variation of Supta … The patients of sciatica and arthritis also gets healing effects by performing this asana. The pose initiates with the base pose in a sitting posture, i.e. The mental health benefits of supta vajrasana include helping to treat anger and other negative emotions, calming the mind and improving focus. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system. It provides relief to muscle pain and is good for the nervous system. Supta Virasana stretches the abdominal and thigh muscles. If the physical or emotional experiences that you encounter are too intense, you can begin the practice of this pose by supporting the sitting bones and base of the spine on a block or blanket and recline onto the support of a firm bolster. Adho Mukha Virasana (Downward Facing Hero Pose) After coming into Virasana pose, Inhale and extend your arms straight above your head. Avoid practicing supta virasana if you have issues with the back, knee, or ankle. This gives a good stretch to your thighs, … Philosophy + Origin. Approach Supta Virasana with an openness to what arises and with compassion and sensitivity, and you will begin to counter your daily onslaught of stress and strain with an experience of expansion and release. Supta Virasana provides therapeutic benefits to many imbalances in the upper and mid-body, including head colds, headaches and high blood pressure. Reclining hero pose, or supta virasana, is a more advanced version of hero pose. It massages the abdominal … Reclined Thunderbolt Pose stretches and massages the abdominal region. In this case, roll on to your side and extend your legs out. Let us have a look at the important benefits. Correct rounded shoulders consequently improving body posture. While you would be able to enhance strength around the pelvic region and the abdomen, you can help yourself to improve metabolism. Bring your hands to your heels and lie down on your back. Use Supta Virasana to also stimulate digestion, ease belly woes, such as diarrhea, and treat menstrual cramps. Benefits of Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) Supta Virasana can make some astonishing medical advantages, for example. For women, it improves health of reproductive organs. A partner can help you learn to lengthen the spine in this pose. Supta Virasana Benefits: Helps prevent arterial blockages by gently massaging and strengthening the heart and increasing coronary blood flow. Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles; Strengthens the arches; Improves digestion and relieves gas; Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause ; Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester) Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma; Partnering. By bending backward, the flow of blood to heart arteries is increased. Try to pull your inner groins into the pelvis. Benefits of Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose) strengthens your aches and stretches your quadriceps. Supta virasana (SOUP-tah veer-AHS-ah-nah), is the reclined version of hero’s pose. Supta Vajrasana Practice Guide. On the next exhalation … Supta virasana is only suitable if you have full control of virasana I (hero attitude). The intensity and difficulty involved in this asana make it an intermediate level pose. … It elongates and aligns our spine and creates space in our torso, which make it an excellent posture for pranayama and meditation. This pose can strengthen the hip region and brings flexibility to the back, but those suffering from sacral pain should consult a doctor before attempting this. In this way, we “reset” our habitual forward rounding, allowing our courage to lead us into the very exposed space of full openness. Benefits. In doing so, you will simultaneously create more space for your breath to support you, more length on your spine, and slowly but surely an open heart. The arms rest on the floor to either side of the trunk, with the palms facing up. In the fullest expression of the pose, the tops of the feet, knees, buttocks, shoulders, back of the head and the arms are all in easeful contact with the floor. This stimulates the Manipura chakra and makes the practitioner confident, strong, and courageous. It is best for all the people who spend their entire day with a crooked back staring at their screen or working at the desk. Benefits. Modifications: Place bolster, or cushion under the upper back or head for support. It stretches the thighs, knees and the ankles, and relaxes the legs, abdominal organs and pelvic region. Supta Virasana: Benefits, Steps & Precautions Supta Virasana is one of the greatest pose and a variation of Virasana yoga pose. … Perform Virasana… It is also known as Reclined Hero pose and Reclining Hero Pose. Reclined Hero pose helps in sleeping disorders like insomnia. Caution: Supta Virasana, the reclining variation of Virasana, is an intermediate pose. Contraindications: Recent or chronic knee injury or inflammation. Stress hormones stimulate the production of digestive juices and improve the bowel movement. Supta Virasana is a reclined version of Vajrasana where the upper body reclines backwards, so that the back rests on the floor. Through his teaching, he realized how Yoga & Ayurveda can be used to increase the longevity and wellness of one's life. From hero, the yogi reclines onto their back and holds opposite elbows over the head. The shoulders are in abduction. Yoga As A Cross-Training Activity. It makes the spine stronger and flexible. This is also beneficial in curing headaches. The silver lining around this cloud, though, is that we have a counter pose to this stress and separation that is a result of our daily lifestyle, Supta Virasana (Supine Hero Pose). While holding the pose the thighs tend to slide apart. Prolapsed Uterus Exercises A prolapsed uterus occurs when your uterus falls … Physical Benefits Supta Virasana (SOUP-tah veer-AHS-uh-nuh) is a restorative pose. This asana is a popular one and it has been practiced for ages. Along with engaging the muscles of the legs, it also benefits the abdomen and chest. It increases the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and leaves calming effects. Supta Virasana Benefits: This pose is beneficial for problems of Headache, Insomnia, High Blood pressure, or infertility in addition to all benefits as of basic Virasana pose. Increases the elasticity of lung tissue. Stand on your knees and bring them closer to spread your feet wide apart. This gives the back and spine a break from being at work all day long and proves to be a little retreat for them. Its is also known as ‘Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose)‘ and has minor variations like Eka Pada Supta Vajrasana (One-Legged Reclining Fixed Firm Pose) or Ardha Supta … It … Virasana is hero pose, a pose meant to emulate courageousness and valor. To begin the practice of Supta Virasana, you must first gain sustained ease in Virasana, which Iyengar says “takes a long time and requires daily practice of the pose for a few minutes for several months.” Once ease in Virasana is gained, then you can begin to recline in the pose, opening the entire front body. read more... Related Articles. Enhances processing. In addition to being physically challenging, the emotions that surface as a result of opening our front body in this way can be intense. It improves the overall body posture of the practitioner. It can strengthen the sacral region and brings flexibility to the back, but those suffering from sacral pain should avoid this asana. It is not a very popular pose as the pose itself is slightly difficult. A balanced svadisthana chakra helps to connect with knowledge and improves perception. It increases the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and leaves calming effects. In this pose, the body is fully reclined on the floor from seated virasana. The back bending opens the heart center and also stimulates the Anahata chakra, that enhances the confidence and will power. Extends your stomach area, profound hip flexors, lower legs and thighs. Because of the extreme front body opening, Supta Virasana can also call up emotions and sensations that have been pushed away or “locked down” by the rounding of the upper back and protective tension in the shoulders. DO NOT perform this pose unless you can sit your buttocks relatively easily on the floor between your feet. It brings flexibility to the lower back and hips. Supta virasana exerts pressure on abdominal organs that produces stress hormone in the body. Supta Virasana is beneficial in the treatment of sciatica. The Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) is considered an intermediate level pose. It is useful and helps in the treatment of sciatica. It is considered the reclined version of the Hero pose because it includes a deep knee bend and a deep hip flexor stretch. Call Lee-Anne on 0415 879 116 or email leeanne.nel@gmail.com, Copyright 2020 Simply Yoga | All Rights Reserved, More than a stretch: Yoga’s benefits may extend to the heart, Improve Your Sports Performance! Do not practice it with partially blocked arteries or recent bypass surgery. The name Supta Virasana actually comes from Sanskrit words, it is a combination of four words, where Supta means Reclined, Vira means Hero and Asana mean Pose, so the combination of all the words, its pronounced as a The Reclining Hero … Inhale and bring your arms backs to the heels. It might be difficult to release out of the pose initially. virasana, and then leaning back until the head and back reach the floor. Health Benefits of Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) Supta Virasana is always considered as the most effective stretching exercise. The pose is named so as it helps to inculcate the qualities of a hero from within. Virasana (Hero Pose) and Supta Virasana (reclining hero pose) are two different types of yoga poses. Exhale and lower your bottom in between your calves. It is considered an intermediate level asana in fully reclined position, a more intense variation of its milder yet also often avoided foundation pose, Virasana. However, mastering this pose has many benefits for areas such as the groin, thighs, abdomen, knees, ankles and so on. Supta virasana makes the knees and hips flexible and corrects flat feet in the long term thanks to the stretching of the feet and ankles, which benefits the foot arches. The ribcage is stretched and expanded fully, which helps to fill the lungs to their maximum capacity and bring more oxygen into the system. Supta vajrasana stimulates the svadisthana chakra, which is the second chakra and the center of creativity. It activates the sexual organs and enhances blood flow towards them. Supta virasana is an advanced variation of virasana. It involves the opening of the navel center. Benefits of Supta Vajrasana. Always perform the asana on empty stomach. Let us know in detail how to do this asana and its benefits below. Delivers a high amount of the oxygen into the lungs preventing lung disorders. Home » Yoga » Yoga Poses » Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose): Steps, Benefits & Precautions. Therefore, asana facilitates the functioning of the digestive system. It relieves constipation. Benefits of Supta Vajrasana It tones the spinal nerves, makes the rear versatile and realigns rounded shoulders. The extra pressure produced on these muscles enhances the blood flow, more oxygen and nutrition is supplied to these areas. With this, the elasticity of the spine increases that also reduces and relieves back pain and stiffness. Benefits + Contraindications. Whereas, in Supta Virasana lower legs need to be spread adjacent to the buttocks so side heels touch the buttocks only. Inhale and raise your arms and extend them overhead with the palms facing upwards. This pose is good for stretching the abdominal organs. It strengthens the thigh muscles. By allowing the body to let go into all of the sensations that arise, you cultivate a willingness to be present with your Self on all levels. Supta Virasana is useful in the treatment of sciatica. A scientific study also proves so 4. A scientific study proves 3 that this reclining variation of virasana helps in relieving stress, anxiety, or other mental issues. By the practice of this pose, One reaps all the benefits of Vajrasana and also benefits specific to this pose. According to a study 2, the asana helps get rid of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). People suffering from insomnia, flat feet, and high blood pressure can get benefits by practicing it. Use Supta Virasana to activate deep breathing. Supta virasana also provides benefits to mental health. The body resembles in supta vajrasana similar to fish pose (matsyasana), but the difference between fish pose and reclined thunderbolt pose is only of the position of legs. Often this stance of defense is not a conscious one, but one that we take as a result of our day-to-day lives. Supta Virasana is easily one of the most avoided asanas in western yoga today. The knees are at there most extreme point of flexion, an experience which can be supported by activating down into the tops of the feet. It improves the circulatory system and prevents the formation of cholesterol and fat. Practicing this asana also helps to prevent and cure infertility. It is the ideal posture for tired legs. For people with chronically tight deep hip extensors (gluteus maximus and hamstrings), this pose can be especially challenging, but also very helpful when practiced mindfully. It stretches your thighs, knees, and hip flexors. Enhances resistance to infections. It helps relieve tired legs. Our necks sit slightly forward of our spine, our shoulders are chronically tight and often slightly rounded, our back body is overworked and strained, and our hips and legs are tight, and our ease of connection and communication with our innermost Self is muted. It develops a sense of responsibility and boosts decision-making skills. Leaned back Hero posture helps in dozing issue like sleep deprivation. Supta virasana has therapeutic actions on many medical conditions. Reclining Hero Pose Tutorial. So we start slowly in approaching this asana by first addressing our ability to open our lower body and become grounded. Supta Virasana Benefits What advantages does Supta Virasana behold for people? By opening up the chest, torso and pelvic area - breathing becomes easy. 1.) Benefits Of The Supta Virasana. This is a stress-relieving and rejuvenating modification of the Hero Pose yoga. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It also prevents constipation and other digestive disorders. By bringing more circulation to the lungs and other breathing organs, the pose benefits those with asthma, a head cold or other respiratory issues. Benefits of Supta Virasana. It strengthens the arches of the feet. It helps relieve tired legs. It soothes menstrual agony side effects. Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Discontinue practicing supta virasana if you feel pain in sitting on the virasana, Do not spread your feet wider than the hips. Benefits of Supta Virasana. Stand on your knees and bring the feet together. Holding the pose helps in opening the chest muscles that in turn opens the heart center. When we lie back in Supta Virasana, … In order to be a hero in the world, you first need to be a hero to yourself. Keep breathing and stay in the pose for 30-60 seconds. It gives your thighs, knees, ankles, abdomen, and deep hip flexors a good stretch. Ashish is a certified Yoga Teacher having experience of teaching at various schools in India. He started learning yoga from renowned yoga schools in the world capital of yoga, Rishikesh. It brings flexibility of the spine. Supta virasana also provides benefits to mental health. When we lie back in Supta Virasana, we fully expose and expand our front body. Press your elbows to the floor, exhale, and start leaning back. Turn your calves outwards using your hands and place your buttocks in between the heels. Its benefits are both physical and energetic. Bridge Pose Variation Ankles (Setubandha Sarvangasana Variation Ankles). (soup-tah veer-AHS-anna) supta = lying down, reclining vira = man, hero, chief (compare Latin vir, man, the root of English words virile and virtue) Reclining Hero Pose: Step-by-Step … Benefits: Half Supine Hero pose provides a powerful stretch to the front of the thighs and increases flexibility in the knees, hips and spine. Instructions. Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose): Steps, Benefits & Precautions, Get Ancient Ways of living life at its highest potential which makes you physically, mentally & socially active, http://www.journalofsports.com/pdf/2019/vol4issue1/PartAB/5-1-85-950.pdf, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146428/, https://meridian.allenpress.com/ijyt/article/21/1/109/137834/A-Protocol-and-Pilot-Study-for-Managing, http://ayurpub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/907-915.pdf, Mandukasana (Frog Pose): How to Do(Steps), Benefits, & Precautions, Kandharasana (Shoulder Pose): Steps, Benefits, and Precautions, Astavakrasana (Eight Angle Pose): Story, Variation, How to Do, Benefits. Divert sexual energy to the brain therefore helps to achieve spiritual gains. In this asana, the legs are in powerful internal rotation with the ankles in extreme plantar flexion. Supta virasana is considered an intermediate supine hip opener. Getting into the supta virasana contracts the spinal muscles and stretches them at the same time. Loosen up the legs thus act as preparatory … Start by sitting in … Supta vajrasana stretches the abdominal and thoracic muscles. In matsyasana, legs are extended straight in a … Helps reduce heart disorders; Stretches the abdomen, back, and waist; Relieves rheumatic pain and pain in the upper, middle, and lower back; Eases osteoarthritis of the knees; Aids digestion after a heavy meal; Soothes stomach ulcers; Relieves the symptoms of asthma; Reduces menstrual pain, and helps treat disorders of the ovaries ; Helps prevent … It is also known as The Reclining Hero Pose. It also has therapeutic benefits for the following conditions: It helps improve digestion. This shape is a deep knee bend and a deep hip flexor stretch — props are always a friend to this pose! It elongates and aligns our spine and creates space in our torso, which make it an excellent posture for pranayama and meditation. 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On these muscles enhances the confidence and will power the abdomen, and.... Stress-Relieving and rejuvenating modification of the practitioner confident, strong, and deep hip flexors a good.... The treatment of sciatica benefits & Precautions Supta Virasana can make some astonishing advantages! Rests on the floor between your feet as wide as your hips or inflammation Vajrasana it tones spinal. Your feet wider than the hips to inculcate the qualities of a Hero to yourself make an... Strengthening the heart center and also stimulates the svadisthana chakra, that enhances the confidence and power! Reclined Thunderbolt pose stretches and massages the abdominal organs that produces stress hormone the! It also has therapeutic benefits for the following conditions: it helps to connect with knowledge and improves.. Benefits specific to this pose unless you can sit your buttocks relatively easily on the floor from Virasana... Of sciatica Ayurveda can be used to increase the longevity and wellness of one 's life Setubandha Sarvangasana ankles! Treatment of sciatica outwards using your hands to your side and extend your legs out,. Does Supta Virasana, do not perform this pose the palms facing up state the...