How To Assume the Hero Pose in Yoga

Many yoga poses serve as aids to certain aches and pains of the body, in addition to yoga's more general benefits as a total workout of the mind, body, and soul.  

One of the most common beginner yoga poses is the hero pose, also known as virasana, which means hero or chief in Sanskrit.  The hero pose is a great aid to tired legs at the end of a hard day and is also an excellent alternative way of sitting while in meditation.

• To successfully achieve this pose, begin by kneeling on the floor.  It is recommended that you use a folded blanket or small, flat pillow for this pose, as you may need extra padding for your knees and shins. 
• As you are kneeling on the floor, make sure that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your inner knees are touching.  To allow better circulation during the hero pose, make sure that your feet are level with the floor and are farther apart than the width of the hips.  
• Deeply root each foot.  Plant your feet against the floor as to distribute your weight to the feet.
• Observing your breath, exhale as you sit back about halfway so that your upper body is leaning slightly forwards.  Lift up your hands, spread the fingers apart, and softly place each thumb into the backs of the knees, moving the flesh of the calves towards the heels.
• As you inhale, sit down between your feet.  This is where a yoga block comes in handy for successfully achieving the hero pose.
• If your backside does not feel comfortable on the floor, you might want to slide a yoga block in where your buttocks should be, thus creating a bridge between the ground and your backside and giving you a little seat.
• It is very important in the hero pose to make sure that both sides of the seating bones are evenly supported.
• Once you are correctly seated, lay your hands in your lap: your left hand should be on your left thigh and your right hand on the right thigh, with the palms either up or down.  The back of your head should be perfectly aligned with your neck and spine and your collarbone should be wide open - don't hunch your shoulders.
• Stay in this pose for approximately one minute while taking several deep breathes.  
• The eyes can be open or closed in the hero pose.  However, if you choose to keep them open, keep the gaze soft and not focused on anything in particular.