Legs-Up-the-Wall Meditation: A Restorative, Healing Practice

Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) is a gentle, restorative inversion with many physical and mental benefits. Legs-Up-the-Wall pose helps improve circulation, reduce swelling and inflammation, relieve tired or achy legs, ease lower back tension, support lymphatic drainage, soothe varicose veins, aid digestion, and gently improve flexibility. It also calms the nervous system, reduces stress and anxiety, promotes better sleep, enhances mindfulness and breath awareness, and can help relieve headaches and mental fatigue. It is ideal to do after long periods of standing, *during menstrual discomfort, post-workout recovery, or as a calming midday or bedtime routine.

*During menstruation, if you feel discomfort or dizziness, listen to your body and exit the pose; you can also bend your legs or use props for added support.

Music: “Golden Aura Solfeggio 528Hz” from Royalty Free Meditation Music

Transcript

Welcome to this short restorative meditation.

Today we'll take a few quiet minutes in legs up the wall pose,

A simple nourishing posture to calm the nervous system,

Release tension,

And restore balance.

Find a quiet,

Comfortable space by a wall.

You can lay a yoga mat or blanket down if need be.

Lie on your back and gently swing your legs up,

Resting them vertically against the wall.

Your arms can rest by your sides,

Palms facing up.

Adjust your position until you feel cozy and at ease.

If you feel like you need extra support,

You can place a folded blanket or cushion under your hips.

The wall supports your legs,

The ground supports your spine,

And beneath even that,

Something greater is holding you.

Call it earth,

Call it stillness,

Call it home.

Now close your eyes,

Let your body settle,

Surrendering to the pose.

Let go of doing,

Just rest comfortably knowing that you have arrived.

Begin by noticing the ground beneath you.

Feel your hips and shoulders gently supported,

Your legs resting with ease against the wall.

There is no need to hold or control,

Allow gravity to do the work.

Now bring your attention to your breath.

Inhale slowly through the nose,

And exhale gently through the nose.

Let your breath be an anchor during this practice,

Steady,

Soothing,

Simple.

Inhale receiving light and grace,

Exhale softening into stillness.

Let go of effort,

Let go of thought.

Now imagine a soft golden light at the soles of your feet.

With each breath this light begins to flow downward,

Melting tension in your ankles,

Soothing the calves that carry you,

Softening the knees that bend with each step,

Easing the thighs where effort rests.

The light continues upward,

Through your hips where tension dissolves and space gently opens,

Your belly softening with each exhale grounded and calm.

Softening the grip of the day,

Calming the swirl of thought.

The light rises to your chest where your breath becomes slow and deep,

To your shoulders where the weight of the day melts into the ground,

To your jaw relaxed and unclenched,

To your eyes quiet and still,

To your crown where the light gently lingers.

Let the light hold you softly,

Asking for nothing,

Giving you rest,

Reminding you that you are not here to achieve,

You are here to remember what peace feels like when you stop chasing it.

You are safe here,

You are whole,

There's nothing to do,

Just receive.

Bend your knees and roll slowly to one side,

Resting in fetal pose,

The space between stillness.

Stay here for a few natural,

Effortless breaths.

When you feel ready,

Come to a comfortable seated position with a soft gaze or closed eyes.

Take one final breath in through the nose and exhale fully.

May this sense of calm stay with you as you move back into your day,

Guiding your thoughts,

Feelings and actions.

And may you return to it whenever you need.

Namaste.