Hero Pose - Mofa yoga

Pose Name	Sanskrit Name	Level	Targets
Hero Pose	Virasana	Beginner	Strengthening pelvic muscles

What is Hero Pose?

Virasana or Hero Pose is a kneeling asana in yoga. You can stay at this pose from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Also you can stay up to 5 minutes.

How to do Hero Pose

1

Step 1 - Side

Kneel on the floor, with your thighs perpendicular to the floor, and touch your inner knees together. Slide your feet apart, a little bit wider than your hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor. Angle your big toes slightly in toward each other and press the top of each foot evenly on the floor.

2

Step 1- Front

With an exhale sit back halfway, with your torso leaning slightly forward. Wedge your thumbs into the backs of your knees and draw the skin and flesh of the calf muscles toward the heels. Then sit down between your feet.

3

Final Step - Side

Without hardening the belly, firm the thighs, press them down against the, rotate them slightly toward each other, and draw the inner groins toward the sacrum. Flex your ankles, pressing out through your heels. To lengthen your front torso perpendicular to the floor, think of energy streaming upward from the pubis to the sternum, then down the back from the shoulders to the tail bone. Then imagine the tail lengthening into the floor. Imagine your spine as the "staff" at the vertical core of your torso, rooted firmly in the Earth, the support and pivot of all you do. You can stay at this pose for one minute or more.

4

Final Step - Front

Without hardening the belly, firm the thighs, press them down against the, rotate them slightly toward each other, and draw the inner groins toward the sacrum. Flex your ankles, pressing out through your heels. To lengthen your front torso perpendicular to the floor, think of energy streaming upward from the pubis to the sternum, then down the back from the shoulders to the tail bone. Then imagine the tail lengthening into the floor. Imagine your spine as the "staff" at the vertical core of your torso, rooted firmly in the Earth, the support and pivot of all you do. You can stay at this pose for one minute or more.

Come out from the pose: To come out from the pose, press your hands against the floor and lift your buttocks up, slightly higher than the heels. Cross your ankles underneath your buttocks, sit back over the feet and onto the floor, then stretch your legs out in front of you. It may feel good to bounce your knees up and down a few times on the floor.

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Partner assistance: Your partner can help you learn to lengthen the spine in this pose. Perform hero pose. Your partner should sit behind you and firmly grasp the base of your skull with the thumb and index finger of one hand. As you lengthen the tailbone into the floor, your partner should tug up on the skull base, lengthening the back spine between its two “poles.” Release the crease of your neck into this space between the base of the skull and the back of the neck.

Variation: Clasp your hands, extend your arms forward, turn the palms away from your torso (so your thumbs should be towards the floor), then raise the arms on an inhalation perpendicular to the floor, with the palms facing the ceiling. Stretch actively through the bases of the index fingers.

Contraindications and Precautions

Avoid this pose if have Knee or ankle injury

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You can put a pillow or blanket under your hips.

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Benefits:

Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles.

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Strengthens the arches.

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Improves digestion and relieves gas.

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