Slow Living Habits

image of a person laying on their back with their legs elevated over a pillow that is propped up on blocks.

I had an opportunity this weekend to catch up with a friend of over 20 years who lives in California. It was one of those 2+ hour talk about everything we missed for the last 6 months kind of conversations. Friends from that far back just KNOW that time passes and life lifes and in matters of kindreds time is an illusion. So we just pick back up the conversation where we last left off. Old friends are what I feel it’s like, getting to read your favorite book but the story is always shifting and evolving every time you pick it back up. Plot twists, hyjinx, irony, synchronicity, cosmic choreography, reflection, tears, laughter, and memes…. Which takes me to the heart of this contemplation!

We were discussing my recent pause in social media consumption and thusly my lack of throwing memes - you know images with clever quotes that explain the thing you’ve always felt and know but had no language for? Those. She had seen one that I had also seen it was a quote of a gal saying something along the lines of: legs up the wall for what ails you. Tired? Legs up the wall. Need a loan? Legs up the wall. Can’t sleep? Legs up the wall. Worried about the collapse of society? Legs up the wall. - We laughed because this was a classic case of “it’s funny because it’s true.”

Sarcasm aside, what is it about the yoga pose Legs up the Wall that seems like it’s the new “child’s pose is available anytime” joke? There is some magic to it and gravity plays a major role in the simple paradigm shifts of this pose.

Practiced simply, you lay on the floor on your back with your legs resting on a wall. Due to the nature of typically tight hamstrings on the back of the legs, for most it’s best practiced with your seat a little ways away from the wall at least to start. I like to have a blanket under my back and something under my neck to contour the natural curve there. I also find if I roll up a blanket slightly or use a small flat pillow it helps traction out my neck. Your level of comfort is unique and whatever you have available for support works great. You really don’t need any props for this, just some wall space and an open spot on the floor, but if you have any unique anatomical constraints like spine or neck issues or high or low blood pressure it’s best to offer support for the back and raise the head slightly.

Why does it work and what does it do? When we lay flat on our backs the squishy fluid filled discs between the vertebrae get a break from the downward pressure on them when we are upright. This is partly why sometimes you are taller in the morning versus the afternoon or evening because those discs get a chance to re-inflate in a sense. There’s also the anti gravity treatment for the legs having them elevated. This takes pressure off the ankles, knee joints and of course feet, and can help release trapped tight muscular tension in the lower legs as well as support vascular health in the legs. If you are looking for some relief from tired legs this is a really helpful low/no cost treatment you can give yourself anytime you have the space available.

Another way that Legs up the Wall offers support is from a nervous system perspective. When we lay flat on the floor and have the head in a horizontal position this lets the brain know that we are trying to rest and offers a different perspective both in sound and vision looking at the ceiling and orienting to your space. Another added benefit is access to diaphramatic breathing. With the legs elevated this takes pressure off the low back and off the Psoas muscles that connect the upper legs to the lumbar vertebrae on both sides. The Psoas muscles also have myofascial connections to the bottom of the diaphragm. So when you Psoas are tight from walking or sitting too much they can in a sense pull the bottom of the diaphragm limiting a full breath. This can very quietly set the base line for your nervous system into an autopilot flight or flight state lowering what’s called your “window of tolerance” to handle small stresses. When we elevate the legs, we release the psoas, release bottom tension on the diaphragm and allow for a complete breath in and out. That deepened breath helps stimulate the Vagus nerve (Vagus means “wandering” in Greek) which travels through just about every major organ in your body, including the heart and digestive system. 70% or more of your immune system is located in your digestive system, so lowering your anxiety can help with assimiliation of nutrients from food and help increase your immune system strength over time and with practice.

So, legs elevated = released psoas and tightness in the low back + bottom of the diaphragm released = access to more breath + deeper breath means Vagus nerve stimulation = more calm + greater immunity and overall well being.

Different physical perspective creates a different mental perspective and shifts the state of the body which changes perception. The more often you practice just laying there and breathing , the lower your stress levels go, the less things adversely affect you, the greater your window of tolerance to handle stress, and the more present you are in your world.

I would rephrase this meme to: Can’t turn your brain off? Legs up the Wall. Can’t catch your breath? Legs up the Wall. Legs ache and you don’t want to stretch? Legs up the wall. Tired but wired? Legs up the Wall. Nervous or anxious? Legs up the Wall. You feel great and want a different way to meditate without sitting up? Legs up the Wall. It’s hands down one of the most versatile yoga poses out there! In our image in this post, this is a modifed version of it we call affectionately “astronaut pose” and it does the same thing and can be experienced on the floor or even in your bed with pillows under the legs. There are many ways to the Way!

So although Legs up the Wall can’t get you a loan or stop any perceived collapse of society, it can quietly and radically shift your internal state so you can make plans or choose what you want to put your energy into and deeply rest your body and mind and pour energy into peace instead of fear!