Virasana as Preparation for Inversions

This session revisits Virasana not as a new pose study, but as a preparation for inversion work. The focus shifts toward using Virasana to organize the legs, pelvis, spine, and chest so that students can maintain lift and direction when moving toward Headstand. Particular attention is given to how the femurs descend, the trunk ascends, and the shoulders support chest expansion without disturbing the stability established in the lower body.

Key Pointers

1. Use Virasana to establish vertical lift from a stable base.

   • Descend the femur heads while lifting the trunk.

   • Balance weight evenly across both sitting bones.

2. Refine the action of the feet and ankles.

   • Lengthen through the fronts of the ankles.

   • Stretch the toes back without gripping.

3. Create chest lift without hardening the lower back.

   • Broaden the collarbones.

   • Lift the sternum while maintaining softness in the floating ribs.

4. Prepare the shoulder girdle for inversion work.

   • Draw the shoulder blades into the back.

   • Maintain freedom in the neck while opening the chest.

5. Observe how support height affects spinal extension.

   • Adjust blocks or blankets according to knee and ankle mobility.

   • Use sufficient height to preserve lumbar length.