Fixed Firm Pose a.k.a. Reclining Hero

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This posture may not feel great on the knees in the beginning, but this is one of the best postures for general knee health and for healing knee issues. If you are limited by tightness or injury, this pose in particular does not come overnight. Depending on your flexibility, you may not even be able to get your hips on the floor. Be patient. It takes consistent practice and just going little by little with attention and body awareness. If you are very flexible, this pose should feel great, or you may not feel much sensation at all. Focus on lifting the chest.

Photo taken at Bikram Yoga Huntington Beach by Christian Cline

Photo taken at Bikram Yoga Huntington Beach by Christian Cline

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Sit down in a kneeling position with your hips on your heels.
  2. Separate your heels to the outsides of your hips, touching your hips. Keep your feet straight in line with your tibias/shin bones. Open your knees as wide as necessary to accommodate your flexibility and bring your hips to floor between your heels. (For tight knees, you may not be able to bring your hips all the way down. Open the knees, support yourself with your hands and STOP HERE. Breathe.)
  3. Only if your hips are touching the floor, place your hands on your feet with your fingers pointing forward, and slowly lower one elbow at a time down to the floor.
  4. Head back, slowly touch the top of your head, then the back of your head to the floor.
  5. Lower your shoulders to the floor one at a time. Bring your arms overhead, clasping each elbow with the opposite hand.
  6. Tuck your chin to your chest and lift your chest and abdomen up, creating an arch in the lower back. Hips and shoulders remain on the floor.
  7. If your knees feel okay, begin to draw them in towards one another until they touch. Always be mindful of the knees—the health of your knee joints is a priority here. Breathe.

BENEFITS:

  • Increases circulation to the lower limbs
  • Strengthens and stretches the lower spine, abdomen, thighs and deep hip flexors (psoas), knees, and ankles
  • Good for lower back pain, sciatica, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and varicose veins
  • Improves digestion, stretches the spleen, which controls the bile duct
  • Flushes out lactic acid
  • Helps prevent inguinal and hiatal hernia by stretching deltoid to pelvis

PRECAUTIONS:

  • Be careful of the knees; do not “push through pain” on this one
  • Keep the feet straight and close to the body, touching the hips, so as not to create torquing at the knee joints

MODIFICATIONS:

  • Modify depth rather than form in this posture