Legs Up the Bolster
Inversion • 5 to 10 minutes
PROPS
Bolster (or 2 rolled blankets or a large pillow)
2 blocks (or large hardcover books)
Yoga sandbag (or a heavy folded blanket)
- If you suffer from severe congestive heart failure or peripheral arterial disease, skip this pose.
- Supports your body in a gentle inversion, taking gravitational pressure off your legs and feet without straining your hamstrings.
- Can alleviate pain in your legs and feet associated with swelling, pregnancy, and long periods of standing.
Restorative Yoga Poses : Legs Up the Bolster Photo Gallery
INSTRUCTIONS
- . Set up 2 blocks with one on the tallest setting and the other on the lowest setting. Place the bolster onto the blocks so that it is on a diagonal with one end touching the floor.
- . From a sitting position, bring one hip up to the edge of the bolster, then, using your hands for support, lean back a little and draw your legs up onto the bolster. Place the sandbag on top of your ankles so your legs can relax without rolling off the bolster.
- . Lie back and relax your arms to the side.
- . Remain in Legs Up the Bolster for 5 to 10 minutes. To exit, remove the sandbag, bend one knee and then the other, place your feet on the bolster, then roll to your side and press yourself up to a sitting position.
TIP
Your hips should be close enough to the bolster that the backs of your legs are completely supported and there is no space behind your knees or thighs to ensure that you don’t hyperextend your knees.
