I stand a lot. Like, a LOT. On an average day it’s likely that I will teach between four and six hours of yoga, and walk in between classes – so add an hour or two of walking to all that standing, and you have a recipe for very tired legs!
Some nights, when I get home, my feet feel so tender that I find myself hobbling, my ankles are puffy, my calves are in spasm. Sound vaguely familiar to any of you who are teachers/ librarians/ retail workers/ hospitality workers/ physiotherapists/ massage therapists? And all the myriad other people who stand in the course of your work?
So I thought I would share my ‘magic two’ poses for tired legs. I practice them every day.
Magic Pose 1: Vajrasana
Oh, the joys of sitting on your heels. This just relieves so much tension in my ankles and feet, de-puffs them, and stretches my quadriceps out a bit too.
I sometimes practice Virasana instead, sitting between my heels on a flattish foam block. When my knees allow it, of course.
What, you ask, about those of us who can’t kneel like this because it hurts our ankles/knees? Aha, I have an option for you, too:
Cakravakasana
Which refers to the sequence below: inhaling to all fours, and exhaling to release your buttocks towards your heels. It gives a similar kind of relief but without the sustained pressure on your joints that holding a pose would exert.
And then there is Magic Pose 2: Legs up the Wall
Is there any ailment this pose can’t help? I doubt it.
This is the ultimate langhana (releasing, soothing) pose. I find it helps the muscles and tissues around my damaged SI joints relax, it allows blood and lymph to drain from my tired and puffy legs, and, with my arms out as pictured, also stretches my chest to relieve the hunch-asana that develops over a day of reaching forward to adjust students, working on the computer, etc. Sometimes I even meditate in this postion, when sitting is too uncomfortable.
Sweet relief!
All I need now is an eyepillow like these that I have ordered from DivineGoddess for my Docklands yoga classes. They just arrived, and they are lovely!
PS: the skew feet in legs up the wall? Because of my back. I leave them be.
Related articles
- Yoga for the Back (yogawithnadine.com)
- SI Joint Pain and Yoga (yogawithnadine.com)
- Stretch that flank! Parsvottonasana.
- Yoga for Manolo Feet
Moving from Stability: Understanding the Pelvis in Posture (Online workshop)
Myinsens
Curvy Yoga by Anna Guest-Jelley
Thanks so much for this post! This is just what I need for my sore legs.
I’m so happy you’re back blogging and even happier you are settling in to your new home town too! Thanks for the yoga tips with standing and thanks also for reminding me of Divine Goddess. Lots of colour and fun. I am going to put in an order myself this weekend. I hope you have a fab weekend
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one teaching a crazy number of hours a day or that after doing so I’m not alone with my puffy tired legs. My question to you is how do you maintain such a full schedule and still feel fresh with your teaching?
Sometimes it’s easy for me to find inspiration and feel like classes are uplifting for those who come. Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in a rut and bemoan the fact I have to go teach yet another class. I think for me personally teaching a little less each week would be better, but doing so would mean finding supplemental income which I’m trying to avoid by teaching so much as to have one less thing to work into our family’s busy schedule. It’s a fine balance and I’m always interested to see how other teachers handle that balance.