Hero Pose (Virasana)
Hero Pose is a kneeling seat where the feet rest just outside the hips and you sit between them, usually on a block. Vira means hero and asana means posture. It stretches the fronts of the thighs and the tops of the feet, and with enough height under you it is a steady seat for breathing.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Virasana
- Pronunciation
- veer-AHS-uh-nuh. Vira rhymes loosely with Vera, and the stress falls on AHS.
- Family
- Seated and floor
- Practised in
- Yoga for beginners
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Hero Pose looks like a simple kneel, and on a block it is. Without enough height under you, it can be the hardest seat in the room for the knees.
In gentle lessons for new students I bring it in only once sitting on the heels in Vajrasana feels easy, and always on a block at first.
It is a good place to breathe before a lesson ends, or to sit for a few minutes while the legs rest from standing work.
How to do Hero Pose
Kneel on a folded blanket with your knees together and your feet slightly wider than your hips, tops of the feet on the floor.
Place a block between your feet, on its lowest or middle height.
With your hands, gently roll the calf muscles outward and sit back onto the block.
Check that each foot points straight back, toes not turned in or out, and the heels hug the sides of the hips.
Sit tall with your hands on your thighs and breathe for one to two minutes.
To come out, lean forward onto your hands, lift the hips and come back to hands and knees.
My cues
- Height first. If the knees speak at all, add another block or a folded blanket on top.
- Let the weight sink through the sit bones into the block, and let the spine rise up from there.
Modifications
- Sit on two blocks or a bolster so the knees bend less.
- Put a rolled towel under the ankles if the tops of the feet complain.
- Choose Thunderbolt Pose, sitting on the heels, if the feet beside the hips do not suit your knees.
In pregnancy. Adapt. Sit high on a bolster or blocks, open the knees a little wider for the belly, and keep holds short. Leave it out if you have knee or pelvic pain. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife has cleared you, sit high and keep it short at first. It can be a comfortable seat for feeding if the knees are happy.
Common mistakes
- Sitting low without props while the knees ache. Knee pain means add height, every time.
- Letting the feet splay out to the sides or turn in, which twists the knees.
- Slumping. A high seat makes sitting tall easy.
Pairs well with
- Thunderbolt PoseVajrasana
- Child's PoseBalasana
- Cow Face PoseGomukhasana