Viparīta karaṇi [inverted action], commonly known as Supported Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, is a deeply calming restorative inversion. Practiced regularly, it can relieve fatigue, calm the nervous system, reduce swelling in the legs, and support healthy circulation. In this Viparīta karaṇi tutorial, we’ll guide you through three key variations of Viparīta karaṇi—ranging from beginner-friendly to advanced—with a free instructional video and detailed images to support each stage of the pose.
Whether you’re a new student with tight hamstrings or an experienced practitioner aspiring to practice the forward roll entry, this Viparīta karaṇi tutorial will help you develop confidence and technique in this classic Iyengar Method posture.
1. Viparīta karaṇi for Beginners: Angled Bolster Setup
The first variation is ideal for newer students or anyone with tight hamstrings. Instead of placing the bolster parallel to the wall, it’s angled upward with a portion tucked up the wall to help elevate the pelvis and reduce strain in the legs.
Key setup points: Bolster angled with roughly one-third tucked up the wall A flat blanket cushions the head Legs rest at approximately a 60-degree angle
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Press hands into the floor to lift the pelvis onto the bolster
Walk the feet and hips closer to the wall in stages
Only straighten the legs once the pelvis is securely supported
2. Intermediate Variation: Classical Setup with Side Entry
This version brings the hips directly into contact with the wall for a more traditional alignment. The bolster is now placed parallel to the wall, with a small gap left to allow the tailbone to drop slightly.
Setup details: Bolster parallel to the wall with a few centimeters of space Blanket under the head remains in place
Entry technique:
Sit sideways on the bolster
Hug knees and use the hands and forearms to rotate onto the back
Carefully swivel the legs up the wall while keeping both sitting bones in contact with the wall
3. Advanced Variation: Forward Roll Entry for Experienced Students
For those comfortable with inversions and looking to deepen their practice, this variation teaches how to forward roll into Viparīta karaṇi. This action allows for a higher lift under the pelvis, using additional blankets for support.
Setup: Bolster positioned further from the wall with two neatly folded blankets stacked on top Optional block at the wall to gauge distance
Technique overview:
Position hands forward of the head and place crown of head on the mat
Press hands firmly, tuck toes under, and lift knees
Walk in until shoulders contact the bolster, then use controlled pressure to bring the pelvis to the wall
Slide into position, ensuring even blanket distribution and correct spinal alignment
Key Benefits of Viparīta karaṇi • Calms the nervous system • Promotes a parasympathetic response, helping reduce anxiety and stress • Supports circulation: Elevates the legs to help reduce swelling and fatigue • Improves breath awareness: Gentle elevation of the chest and abdomen enhances natural respiratory rhythm • Restores energy: Reverses the effects of gravity and long periods of standing or sitting • Safe inversion alternative: Offers many of the benefits of shoulderstand with less strain
FAQs How long should I stay in Viparīta karaṇi? Anywhere from 5–15 minutes is typical. Longer holds allow for deeper relaxation, especially in restorative practices.
Can I do this pose if I have neck issues? Yes, but stick with the beginner or intermediate version. The forward roll should only be attempted once you’re confident and have no contraindications.
What props do I need? A yoga bolster, at least three blankets, and a block. You can modify with cushions or firm pillows if needed.
Is this pose safe during menstruation? Although Viparīta karaṇi is a rejuvenating restorative pose, it is still considered an inversion. Other poses such as Setubandha sarvāṅgāsana may be better choices during menstruation.
Final Thoughts on Viparīta karaṇi Viparīta karaṇi offers a restorative pathway into the benefits of inversions. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your technique, the step-by-step guidance in this tutorial and accompanying class will help you practice with clarity, alignment, and confidence.
Restraints Abound Most drivers are required to stay on the right side on two-way roads, yet others have to do so on the left. While on these roads we need to observe speed limits, turn lanes, detours, etc. Similarly, our cupboards separate our dishes and kitchenware. Some civil privileges such as voting require a minimum age, just as does retirement. The trades and professionals have parameters that need to be heeded. Recuperation sometimes comes with an extensive list of restrictions. Almost all begin education at a required age, and in this country are expected to graduate HS, at a minimum. Fewer still continue on, and achieve their terminal degrees in another 2-8 years.
A select few pursue self-development, while imposing additional restrictions. In this regard, we seek the advice of those who’ve already traveled this path. Bellur Kṛṣṇamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was such a guide for close to 1,000 certified Iyengar Method instructors in the US, with only a half-dozen of these residing in KS. Even after death, Mr. Iyengar continues to point the way via numerous writings. His pursuit was noteworthy. At 16, beginning āsana studies with his brother-in-law, the renown Śri Tirumalai Kṛṣṇamacharya, in Mysore. When 18, young Sundararaja was assigned to instruct in Pune, where he continued in his inquiry ’til the age of 95.
BKS himself followed his teacher’s example, resisting the traditional path, and eventually becoming a householder. There is film of Sundararaja when twenty practicing the vinyāsa of his lineage. This third part, (āsana) of Patañjali’s aṣṭāṅgayoga (eight limbs of yoga) would often consume about 10 hrs each of these early days.
Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras In his pursuit, BKS eventually develop what his students endearingly came to call the Iyengar method of yoga. In time he wrote Light on the Yoga Sūtras ofPatañjali, and later Core of the Yoga Sūtras. “As a mortal soul, it is a bit of an embarrassment for me with my limited intelligence to write on the immortal work of Patañjali on the subject of yoga.”
“Patañjali fills each sūtra with his experiential intelligence, stretching it like a thread (sūtra), and weaving it into a garland of pearls of wisdom to flavour and savour by those who love and live in yoga, as wise-[beings] in their lives. Each sūtra conveys the practice as well as the philosophy behind the practice, as a practical philosophy for aspirants and seekers (sādhakas) to follow in life.”
Patañjali begins his four-chapter (I-IV) sūtra compilation thusly, I.1, atha yogānuśāsanam, Now the teachings of yoga [are presented]. He then summarises in I.2, yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ, Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of mind.
“Yoga is defined as restraint of fluctuations in the consciousness. It is the art of studying the behaviour of consciousness, which has three functions: cognition, conation or volition, and motion. Yoga shows ways of understanding the functionings of the mind, and helps to quieten their movements, leading one towards the undisturbed state of silence which dwells in the very seat of consciousness. Yoga is thus the art and science of mental discipline through which the mind becomes cultured and matured.”
“As the [changing states of the mind] must be restrained through the discipline of yoga, yoga is defined as citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ. A perfectly subdued and pure citta is divine, and at one with the soul.”
“Patañjali’s opening words are on the need for a disciplined code of conduct to educate us towards spiritual poise and peace under all circumstances. He defines yoga as the restraint of citta, which means consciousness. The term citta should not be understood to mean only the mind. Citta has three components: mind (manas), intelligence (buddhi), and ego (ahaṁkāra), which combine into one composite whole. The term ‘self’ represents a person as an individual entity. Its identity is separate from mind, intelligence, and ego depending upon the development of the individual.”
“Before describing the principles of yoga, Patañjali speaks of consciousness and the restraint of its movements.”
“Why did Patañjali begin the Yoga Sūtras with a discussion [in the first chapter] of so advanced a subject as the subtle aspect of consciousness? We may surmise that intellectual standards and spiritual knowledge were then of a higher and more refined level than they are now, and that the inner quest was more accessible to his contemporaries than it is to us.”
“The verb cit means to perceive, to notice, to know, to understand, to long for, to desire, and to remind. As a noun, cit means thought, emotion, intellect, feeling, disposition, vision, heart, soul, Brahman. Cinta means disturbed or anxious thoughts, and cintana means deliberate thinking. Both are facets of citta.”
“Abhyāsa (practice) is the art of learning that which has to be learned through the cultivation of disciplined action. This involves long, zealous, calm, and persevering effort. Vairāgya (detachment or renunciation) is the art of avoiding that which should be avoided. Both require a positive and virtuous approach.”
“Tapas is a burning desire for ascetic, devoted sādhanā (practice/quest), through yama, niyama, āsana, and prāṇāyāma, [the first four of Patañjali’s eight limbed system]. This cleanses the body and senses (karmendriya and jñānendriya), and frees one from afflictions (klesa nivṛtti).“
“Steady and Comfortable” Although the Iyengar method revolves about the core of yogāsana, little is said about these in the Yoga Sūtras (195 sūtras according to Vyāsa and Kṛṣṇnamacharya, and 196 according to others, including BKS Iyengar). First mentioned in II.29, yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo ‘ṣṭav ańgāni, The eight limbs are abstentions, observances, posture, breath control, disengagement of the senses, concentration, meditation, and absorption.
Then on II.46, sthira-sukham āsanam, Posture should be steady and comfortable. Followed by II.47, prayatna-śaithilyānanta-samāpattibhyām, [such posture should be attained] by the relaxation of effort led by absorption in the infinite.
Continuing in II.48, tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ, From this, one is not afflicted by the dualities of opposites. Finally in II.49, tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsayor gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ, When that [āsana] is accomplished, prāṇāyāmaḥ, breath control, [follows]. This consists of the regulation of the incoming and outgoing breaths.
“Today, the inner quest and the spiritual heights are difficult to attain through following Patañjali’s earlier expositions. We turn, therefore, to [the second] chapter, in which he introduces kriyāyoga, the yoga of action. Kriyāyoga gives us the practical disciplines needed to scale the spiritual heights. My own feeling is that the four padas (chapters) of the Yoga Sūtras describe different disciplines of the practice, the qualities and aspects of which vary according to the development of intelligence and refinement of consciousness of each sādhaka (seeker/aspirant).”
“Sādhana is a discipline undertaken in the pursuit of a goal. Abhyāsa is repeated practice performed with observation and reflection. Kriyā, or action, also implies perfect execution with study and investigation. Therefore, sādhana, abhyāsa, and kriyā all mean one and the same thing.
“Āsana [is] the positioning of the body as a whole with the involvement of the mind and soul. Āsana has two facets, pose and repose. Pose is the artistic assumption of a position. ‘Reposing in the pose’ means finding the perfection of a pose and maintaining it, reflecting in it with penetration of the intelligence and with dedication. When the seeker is closer to the soul, the āsanas come with instantaneous extension, repose, and poise. In the beginning, effort is required to master the āsanas. Effort involves hours, days, months, and several lifetimes of work.”
“When effortful effort in an āsana becomes effortless effort, one has mastered that āsana. In this way, each āsana has to become effortless. While performing the āsanas, one has to relax the cells of the brain, activate the cells of the vital organs, and of the structural and skeletal body. Then intelligence and consciousness may spread to each and every cell. The conjunction of effort, concentration, and balance in āsana forces us to live intensely in the present moment, a rare experience in modern life. This actuality, or being in the present, has both a strengthening and a cleansing effect: physically in the rejection of disease, mentally by ridding our mind of stagnated thoughts or prejudices; and, on a very high level where perception and action become one, by teaching us instantaneous correct action; that is to say, action which does not produce reaction. On that level we may also expunge the residual effects of past actions.”
All Encompassing Restraint It is this all encompassing effort in the Iyengar method which involves not only the other first four limbs (yama, niyama, āsana, and prāṇāyāma) while in yogāsana, but also the three that follow (pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, and dhyāna).
“…whatever āsana is performed, it should be done with a feeling of firmness, steadiness and endurance in the body; goodwill in the intelligence of the head, and awareness and delight in the intelligence of the heart. This is how each āsana should be understood, practised, and experienced. Performance of the āsana should be nourishing and illuminative. Some have taken this sūtra [II.47] to mean that any comfortable posture is suitable. If that were so, these would be āsanas of pleasure (bhogāsanas), not yogāsanas. This sūtra [II.47] defines the perfected āsana.”
“From the very first sūtra Patañjali demands the highest quality of attention to perfection. This discipline and attention must be applied to the practice of each āsana, to penetrate to its very depths in the remotest parts of the body. Even the meditational āsana has to be cultivated by the fibres, cells, joints, and muscles, in cooperation with the mind. If āsanas are not performed in this way they become stale and the performer becomes diseased (a rogi) rather than a yogi.”
“Nor does āsana refer exclusively to the sitting poses used for meditation. Some divide āsanas into those which cultivate the body and those which are used in meditation. But in any āsana the body has to be toned and the mind tuned so that one can stay longer with a firm body and a serene mind.”
“Āsanas should be performed without creating aggressiveness (ahiṃsā) in the muscle spindles or the skin cells. Space must be created between muscle and skin so that the skin receives the actions of the muscles, joints, and ligaments. The skin then sends messages to the brain, mind, and intelligence which judge the appropriateness of those actions.”
“In this way, the principles of yama and niyama are involved and action and reflection harmonise. In addition the practice of a variety of āsanas clears the nervous system, causes the energy to flow in the system without obstruction and ensures an even distribution of that energy during prāṇāyāma.”
“Usually the mind is closer to the body and to the organs of action and perception than to the soul. As āsanas are refined they automatically become meditative as the intelligence is made to penetrate towards the core of being. Each āsana has five functions to perform. These are conative, cognitive, mental, intellectual, and spiritual.”
“Conative action is the exertion of the organs of action. Cognitive action is the perception of the results of that action. When the two are fused together, the discriminative faculty of the mind acts to guide the organs of action and perception to perform the āsanas more correctly; the rhythmic flow of energy, and awareness is experienced evenly and without interruption both centripetally, and centrifugally, throughout the channels of the body. A pure state of joy is felt in the cells and the mind. The body, mind, and soul are one. This is the manifestation of dhāraṇā, and dhyāna, in the practice of an āsana.”
“Patañjali’s explanation of dhāraṇā [concentration] and dhyāna [meditation] in the sūtras beautifully describes the correct performance of an āsana. He [writes], ‘the focusing of attention on a chosen point or area within the body as well as outside is concentration (dhāraṇā).’ Maintaining this intensity of awareness leads from one-pointed attention to non-specific attentiveness. When the attentive awareness between the consciousness of the practitioner and his [/her] practice is unbroken, this is dhyāna.”
In II.48, “Patañjali says that the pairs of opposites do not exist in the correct performance of an āsana clearly [implying] the involvement of dhāraṇā and dhyāna.”
“As praṇava (sacred syllable Ōṁ) has three letters ā, u, ṁ, which stand for generation, continuation, and culmination in words or actions, āsana too has three movements. The first is going into position – akāra (the first letter of the praṇava). The second is establishing and staying in the āsana – ukāra (the second letter of the praṇava). The third is coming out of the position – makāra (the third letter of the praṇava). In this way, an āsana mentally expresses the praṇava mantra of āuṁ, without uttering it. If a practitioner with a clear intention retains the significance of āuṁ and practices the āsanas, observing the three syllables of āuṁ, [s/]he becomes involved silently in the awareness of āuṁ.”*
“This way of practice diffuses the flame of the seer so that it radiates throughout the body. The sādhakas then experience stability in the physical, physiological, psychological, mental, and intellectual bodies. In short, the seer abides and feels each and every cell with unbiased attention.”*
* Core of the Yoga Sūtras, by BKS Iyengar ** all other quotations from Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, by BKS Iyengar *** Sūtra translations from The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, by Prof. Edwin Bryant
A 2024 Mayo Clinic study found that the ability to maintain balance standing on one leg indicates how well a person is aging more than strength or gait. Not only does it let us in on someone’s neuromuscular health, but it can also be a signal of other ailments.
“We utilize [balance] diagnostically to rule in or rule out other diseases,” says Paraminder Padgett, a neurological clinical specialist and physical therapy clinical supervisor at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. “We know inactivity can lead to poor balance, but problems in the brain can also lead to poor balance. One of our jobs is to help tease that out.”
That’s because a wide range of chronic conditions—diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s—can quietly erode your balance over time. Some affect nerves and proprioception, while others disrupt cognitive function and decision-making, all of which affect stability.
So while standing on one leg with your eyes closed might seem like a silly test, it’s actually a surprisingly comprehensive check-in. Balance is a complex, full-body symphony involving your eyes, ears, joints, muscles, and brain. Yet after age 40, these systems slowly decline due to the sedentary lifestyle many Americans ease into.
The result? A gradual loss of stability that can have serious consequences down the line: falls, fractures, and a shrinking world as people avoid movement they no longer trust. In 2021 alone, accidental falls caused 38,000 deaths among Americans over age 65. But here’s the hopeful part: it doesn’t have to be that way.
WHAT BALANCE DEPENDS ON—AND WHAT STARTS TO FADE
Good balance depends on the integration of our vision, somatosensory system (responsible for the sensory information of touch from our muscles, joints, skin, and fascia), and vestibular system within our ears. When any of these systems start to slip, your sense of equilibrium can go with it.
“Just like we have wrinkles on the outside of your body, you have wrinkles on the inside,” Padgett says. “If you use it right, the systems in the brain will continue to adapt to that degradation.”
In other words, use it or lose it. However, Skaggs says we don’t necessarily need to expect these systems to dwindle as we reach the magic age of 40. “These concepts of variation are misinterpreted relative to folks just not taking care of their health,” he says. While some physical decline is natural—like changes in muscle mass, joint mobility, or sensory precision—what we think of as “normal aging” is often a reflection of long-term neglect.
“When someone is trying to get out of a chair and starts to notice that they can’t do that without using their hands, then that internal model will cause them to keep using their hands,” Skaggs says. “It will become their new way of getting out of the chair, leading to more weakness and less ability to use their legs to get out of their chair.” These accommodations and precautions within these movements expedite their loss.
HOW TO PROTECT—AND EVEN RESTORE—YOUR BALANCE
The good news is that balance isn’t a fixed trait. It can be trained, rebuilt, and maintained at any age—if you keep your body moving and your brain engaged.
“We are designed for our trunk balancing efforts. Your core should be dominating as a point of stability, for standing on one leg, for getting up and off the toilet or reaching down to get something in your kitchen,” Skaggs says. “When it’s not, your upper back, your hamstrings, your pectoral muscles start jumping in to help you do these simple things.” That starts becoming the pattern, and your proximal stability systems wane.
For many, your 50s is when movement starts to decline. “I hear a lot of ‘Well, I worked all my life. I retired. It’s okay to sit in my recliner and watch TV all that.’ Or, ‘I do crossword puzzles. I’m keeping my mind active,’” Padgett says. It’s not enough. Movement is essential.
She works on what they call “dual tasking”—patients doing a physical activity and cognitive challenge simultaneously – to nurture their balance. For example, she says walking and naming fruits, starting with the letter A, and getting through the alphabet.
Variety in movements is also necessary as we age, especially for the vestibular system. “The ear canals are oriented in a way to help your brain know where your head is in space, to know what upright is and if you are upright,” Padgett explains. She points to yoga and offers downward dog and other poses where your head is down. “Your brain has to deal with and assimilate that information to know which way is upright.”
Activities that involve unpredictability or play—like juggling, hiking, or tossing a frisbee—are particularly useful. “You’re introducing complexity, and the more complex you get, the more you need to react,” Padgett says. “You’re working on your reactive balance.”
Even going barefoot can help. “The sensory information that comes through when you’re barefoot is a lot more pronounced and beneficial. Your foot mobility is going to be more engaged when you’re barefoot.” Small changes can wake up underused systems, whether you’re standing on a foam pad, walking on an unpaved path, or simply closing your eyes during a balance drill.
Most importantly, find movement you enjoy. “I certainly do not enjoy all the exercise that I do, but I always feel good when I’m done. I know that it’s good for me and allows me to do the things that I want to do, mostly pain free,” she says.
Research supports what these experts see daily: systemic balance training improves physical function and may also boost memory and spatial awareness. “The most important thing to do is to move and to move as much as possible,” Padgett says. “So, you have to find something that’s enjoyable for you.”
Rae Witte is a New York-based writer. In addition to writing, Witte has newsletters for freelance journalists for transparency and for insights on working with freelancer journalists for publicists about the process from pitch to publish, does media training, puts on panels for small businesses, and curates FINDS NY, a vintage and secondhand home goods shop.
Rafael Durán 
