Viparita Karani

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Viparita Karani, Sanskrit for “inverted action,” is known in yoga as both a pose (asana) and a mudra in hatha yoga. In modern practice it is usually a fully supported pose using a wall and blankets, kept as a restful, therapeutic position. As a mudra, it has been practiced with any inversion—such as a headstand or shoulderstand—to reverse the downward flow of vital fluid (Bindu) using gravity.

The name comes from viparīta meaning inverted and karaṇī meaning a particular type of practice. The practice appears in early texts like the 13th‑century Vivekamārtaṇḍa as pratyahara, a withdrawal of the senses. From the 17th century onward it appears in hatha yoga under names such as Narakasana, Kapalasana and Viparitakaranasana, again aiming to reverse the downward loss of life‑giving fluid.

In the traditional Bindu model of Hatha yoga, the life‑giving fluid is thought to drip from the head, and mudras are used to redirect it back up the sushumna. A headstand has even been described as Viparita Karani in some old manuals.

Today Viparita Karani can be any upside‑down practice—shoulder stand, headstand, or handstand. In classical texts it is listed as a mudra to direct internal energy, while asanas in those texts are meant for steadiness.

As a modern asana, it often resembles a supported shoulder stand with the thoracic spine extended, elbows on the floor, and hands supporting the hips or lower back. Iyengar Yoga calls it Legs‑Up‑The‑Wall Pose: a restful inversion with the lower back and buttocks supported on blankets and the legs resting against a wall, either together or in a wide stance.

Sivananda yoga notes a pregnancy‑friendly version called Wall Butterfly: buttocks and feet against the wall, feet together, knees open; hands can press the knees. Related poses include Uttanapadasana (back on the floor, legs up) and Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (back on the floor, arms along the head, legs raised). Wall stretches like Wall Butterfly are said to help open the pelvis during pregnancy.

Some teachers, like Cyndi Lee, say lifting the pelvis on folded blankets can help lymph drain from the legs. The main idea of Viparita Karani is embracing the value of doing less and being receptive, not just inverting the body but inverting our idea of action.