Today’s Poses -Hero and Heron Yoga Poses

Hero and Heron Yoga Poses

Hero Pose

Virasana or Hero Pose is a balm for tired legs at the end of the day, as well as an alternative to Lotus for seated meditation.

Steps

• From all fours, bring your knees closer together and separate your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart.
• Press the top of your feet down and slowly lower your hips back until eventually sitting on the mat (or props) between the heels.
• Use your hands to roll the flesh of your calves away, draw your navel in and up, ground through your sitting bones, and extend through the crown of your head.
• Stay for 5 to 10 breaths.
• Come out of the pose the way you came in, by placing the hands in front of you and lifting the hips back up to all fours.

Benefits

• Stretches ankles, tops of the feet, knees, and legs.
• Energizes the legs when they are tired.
• A great alternative to Lotus pose for meditation

Heron Yoga Pose

Heron Pose is a seated posture that requires a single leg to be extended into the air with the support of both arms. This posture leads to an incredible stretch to the hamstrings, as well as the other muscle groups across the legs.

Steps

• Sitting in Dandasana, bend your right knee and place your foot next to your hip, into Half Virasana Pose. sitting on a folded blanket or block if you have any discomfort in your knee and so that you can ground through both of your sitting bones,
• Bend your left knee and take hold of the left foot with both hands.
• Firm your shoulder blades on your back, open the chest, and on an inhalation begin to straighten your left leg, while keeping the spine long.
• Once your leg is straight, exhale as you bring it closer to the chest.
• Hold for around 5 breaths and release the leg as you exhale. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits

• Stretches the thigh, ankle, and shin of the bent leg.
• Stretches the back of the straight leg, from the hamstrings up to the Achilles tendon.
• It improves core stability.