From April 17th, 2008

It’s been three weeks since I arrived back in New York after a 9-month voyage in India and Kazakhstan. I love this city for its diversity and action, and for how enormous yet intimate of a place it can be. I am thankful to report that it has been a relatively calm transition back into fast-paced metropolitan life.
Upon returning home, I made a goal to try my best at finding more balance and calm in this potentially hectic environment. So, as I now find myself constantly in need of a date book after months of hardly using one (as my life was more contained in one place at a time), or sometimes allowing petty things to stress me out as I race from here to there, I am realizing how enormously beneficial a restorative yoga practice can be.
Even 5 to 10 minutes of relaxing asana or breathing practices can be a powerful remedy to calm the body and mind.

So, as I conquered the final set of subway stairs after a full but pleasant day on my feet, I looked forward to resting with my legs up the wall. This simple and reinvigorating posture, referred to in Sanskrit as viparita karani (inverted action), acts to drain old lymph from the legs and improve circulation. It can also alleviate mild back pain and give a subtle stretch to the neck, shoulder, legs, and front torso.
A teacher of mine told me that performing legs-up-the-wall properly for 20 minutes is the equivalent of 2 hours of sleep! I have been practicing this pose for almost 2 years since and cannot beg to differ.
There is a wonderful tutorial for legs-up-the-wall on Yoga Journal’s website.
To learn more about this beautiful relaxation technique, click here: