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| Asana Analysis - Hero/Virasana: How Physical Therapists Can Incorporate this Yoga Pose Into Practice |
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by Lisa B. Minn, PT - June 30, 2010
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Last week’s post was Triang, in which one leg is tucked back. That tucked back position could be considered ‘virasana-style’. In Hero pose, both legs are tucked back with the knees together and the hips resting between the feet. Some consider this seated posture a good one for meditation however I wouldn’t recommend sitting in this pose for more than 5 minutes, especially for us westerners who spend so much time in chairs. It is a good posture to hold for a minute or two though, to help keep our hips, knees and ankles flexible and healthy.
Muscles Stretched: Quads (including rectus femoris), anterior tibialis, flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallicus longus
Points of Body Awareness:
*Roll the calves outward to optimize alignment of the knees before sitting.
*Do you feel rooted to the earth? The sit bones should be firmly and equally in contact with the ground.
*Is your spine in a neutral position? There should be a small, inward curve in the lower back, a small outward curve between the shoulder blades and a small inward curve at the neck.
*The legs and feet may feel uncomfortable but you should not have any pain in the knees.
*Can you be content in spite of some discomfort in the feet? Can you keep the jaw and facial muscles relaxed? Can you focus on steady, even breathing? If not, modify the pose and try again
To Modify: Sit up on a block or bolster to decrease the amount of knee flexion or to allow for more length through the spine. If there is unbearable discomfort in front of the ankle, try a small, rolled towel in front of the ankle. If the top of the foot is very tender, double the mat under the foot to provide more padding.
PT Notes: This posture can be used as a side-to-side comparison of ankle plantar flexion ROM or anterior compartment flexibility. (I did this myself after a bad foot injury, though I confess I started it too early). Once a patient has achieved full and painless ROM as measured by goniometry, check tolerance for a weight-bearing stretch in Child’s Pose. If this feels okay, then progress to Hero sitting upright. Observe the posture of the patient in the coronal plane. Is there a lateral tilt in the pelvis or any lateral curvature in the spine? Ask the patient if they feel equally weighted or if there is any subjective difference in position or sensation between injured and uninjured sides.
See 3-Angle Forward Bend regarding the use of this posture in patients with a history of knee injuries.
See Yoga Journal for more detail.
Lisa Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast. She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga and Pilates into her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004. Her experience ranges from working with athletes at West Point and Georgetown to instructing elderly and wheelchair-bound clients in the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga. Lisa has conducted several lectures and workshops across the US, as well as in Honduras and Peru, where she volunteered her services. She currently resides and practices in Northern California. This and other articles by Lisa can be found at The Pragmatic Yogi.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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