Method
Step 1: Lie down on your back close to a wall (horizontally); one side of your body should be touching the wall (say right side of your body is touching the wall).
Step 2: Now move both the legs to the right and on the wall; hence both the legs are off the floor and on the wall; back of the legs – the hamstring muscles, the calf muscles are resting on the wall as much as possible; try to get your hips close to the wall so that it is in complete contact with the wall.
Step 3: You may place a bolster at the lower back to get more stretch; relax in this posture for 5-10 minutes with normal or deep breathing.
Step 4: As a variation, you can lift your hips off the floor; only upper part of the body (back of the shoulders, neck and head) is resting on the floor; the part of the body from middle back till ankles are in the air; heels are resting on the wall; keep raising your hips, tailbone and lower back as up as possible and locked otherwise your lower back will start getting strained; maintain the position for some time with normal breathing and release by softly resting your hips on the floor.
Benefits
- Gives massage to lumbar region; improves muscle tone in lumbar region; minimizes risk of varicose veins; reduces leg pain and removes stagnated blood in the lower abdomen; also reduces swelling in the legs
Contraindications
- Avoid in case of acute back pain, weak abdominal muscles and severe hypertension.