Oct 12,2024
Viparitakarni or the Inverted Lake Pose — also known as the ‘technique of retro-fusion’ — pops up most often when one looks for Yoga poses that can help alleviate the pain of varicose veins. Talking to people suffering from the condition confirms that the practice really does wonders for them.
Why it works is simple logic, if we understand varicose veins. It is a condition where the veins that are supposed to return blood from the rest of the body to the heart are unable to do so. This happens because the valves in the veins, which must open for blood to flow and then close to stop blood from flowing back, become weak or damaged. This causes blood pools to pool in the veins and stretch and twist them. Obesity, pregnancy, and hormonal changes can weaken and put pressure on veins, and age can damage the valves. These are the risk factors for varicose veins.
The condition is often painful and limiting, with surgery the only known cure. Sufferers often turn to Yoga, but give up easily because the pain makes it difficult to follow through with the regimen. So, how does one get there?
Viparitakarni is the recommended practice for varicose veins, but it cannot be a standalone therapy. Here are a few things you should know about the practice.
(Please note: This article is based on real-life experiences. However, all Yoga practices have their contraindications and limitations. Before starting any practice, do consult your physician. Care must be taken to learn Yoga practices from an experienced teacher first; do not try them on your own.)
Yoga must be done as a package of exercises. Before getting to Viparitakarni, make a routine of practising different Asanas in standing, sitting, and lying-down positions. Change positions often to avoid pressure build-up in the feet and legs. Any one conscious relaxation technique must follow the physical poses session. Pranayama or breathing practices incorporated into the routine help increase energy and stamina, and also build receptivity of the body to advanced practices. Do it when the stomach is empty and the bowels are clear.
Viparitakarni is not a beginner’s pose nor is it simply ‘legs-up-the-wall pose’. According to the yogic text Hatha Yoga Pradipika, it should be studied directly from the teacher. Perseverance can help overcome the difficulty in maintaining the pose, and so it should be practiced for a few seconds every day.
Support of the wall can be taken in the initial stages, especially for those with excessive weight, but the use of the hands for calibration of blood flow is very important. The pose is not equal to a simple ‘legs-up-the-wall’ exercise.
It is not a warm-up pose and must be practised with care. When the legs are raised high, the rush of blood can put pressure on the heart, brain and respiratory organs, causing giddiness and discomfort, and enlargement of the caliber of the blood vessels in the head, according to the first woman Yoga guru, Sita Devi Yogendra.
She wrote in her book Yoga Physical Education for Women that the hands must be placed at the hips and across the trunk towards the belly-button, such that the thumbs exert a subtle pressure to help slow down that rush of blood.
The practice has to be supported with diet and lifestyle, and sometimes other treatments. People who get relief from the practice get there slowly and steadily. The supporting diet consists of mainly fruits, juices, boiled vegetables and khichadi. Walking helps, as also making efforts to reduce overthinking and oversensitivity, keeping the mind relaxed. Occasionally, physiotherapy and naturopathy methods are also used.
Viparitakarni benefits go much beyond building muscles or calming. Viparītakarṇī is also referred to as a mudra that helps in neuro-muscular control.
According to the authorities on Hatha Yoga, “this exercise of inverted balance has been formulated particularly for bringing about, with the aid of gravitation, inner harmony and union of the opposites — the blood streams (arterial and venous), the nerve impulses (afferent and efferent), and the positive and negative counterparts of bioenergy.”*
Viparitakarni is great for the organs of digestion. It can turn grey hair to its original colour, restore youthful vigour, and defer old age. It also has many psychic benefits. The practice can correct enteroptosis (a prolapse of the intestine), reduce pressure on abdominal organs, increase supply of blood to the thorax and the head, and aid the health of the reproductive system.
What data studies revealed: At pioneering laboratory studies carried out at The Yoga Institute, Yoga guru Sitadevi Yogendra found that it caused increase in the venous flow and great improvement in general circulation. The supply and quality of blood to the vital organs improved because of the anti-gravity stance that helped reduce pressure of the upper body on organs. Lung activity increased by 50 percent. There was a 20.4 percent increase in blood pressure and 41 percent rise in pulse rate within the first minute, which meant it immediately increased the activity of the respiratory and circulatory systems. They concluded that the extent in internal reactions in women are comparable to climbing up and down three flights of stairs.*
Therapeutic benefits: Besides varicose veins, areas of therapy where it helps are:
• disorders of digestive organs,
• sexual debility,
• prolapse of the uterus, and
• hernia.
Lie on your back and relax your body, arms resting at the sides.
Keep the feet close to the hips and legs folded against the thighs.
While exhaling, with a little pull of the abdominal muscles, raise the lower part of the body from the ground by placing the hands under the hips.
Now, slowly raise the legs high up, perpendicular to the ground. The trunk must be slanting, and the back and the neck resting on the ground.
Here, the palms, elbows, neck, and the back of the head take the body weight.
Shift your hands slowly across the hips towards the waist. The pressure of the thumbs on both sides can be used to slow down the rush of blood, which otherwise can put pressure on the heart, brain and respiratory organs, resulting in giddiness and also affect blood vessels in the head, cautions Sita Devi.
All the above steps are done within four seconds of exhalation.
Maintain the pose till comfortable, breathing normally.
While inhaling for four seconds, bend the knees and lower the hips on the floor, still supported by the palms.
Release the hands and relax.
*from Yoga Physical Education for Women, Sita Devi Yogendra, 2023 edition.
The author is a journalist, cancer survivor and certified yoga teacher. She can be reached at [email protected].
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