InvertedSave PDF
Viparita Karani
VIP-ah-REE-tah car-AH-nee
Tones legs and abs
Activates lungs and abdominal organs
Relieves mental and emotional stress
How to perform Inverted
- Lie on your back. Lift your feet toward the sky with an inhale.
- Lift your hips and low back from the floor, then support your hips with your hands. Your torso should be at an angle. Straighten your legs.
- Hold the pose and take normal breaths.
- Lower your legs over your head, place your arms on the floor, and slowly roll down with an exhale.
Alignment cues
- Do not turn your neck
- Legs straight
- Torso at an angle
- Hips resting in palms
- Elbows close together
Modification: Bend your knees while lifting and lowering your legs.
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, headache, neck injury, or a heart condition.
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More yoga poses to discover
Handstand · Adho Mukha Vrksasana
Humble Warrior · Baddha Virabhadrasana
Wide Legged Forward Bend C · Prasarita Padottanasana C
Inverted (Viparita Karani in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the inversions category. This asana targets abs, hamstrings and quadriceps, and also involves biceps, glutes & hip flexors and neck & upper traps muscles. Inverted activates lungs and abdominal organs; tones legs and abs and also relieves mental and emotional stress. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
