Pose library · Virasana · reviewed by a teacher
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.
Pronunciation and meaning
Virasana: veer-AHS-uh-nuh. Vira rhymes loosely with Vera, and the stress falls on AHS.
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.
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.
Teacher's note from Joahnna Lee
“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.”
Make it easier
- 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.
Pregnancy and after birth
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.
Expecting or postpartum? See joahnnalee.com for the stage-by-stage guides.
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.
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.
A sensible order is to bring it in only once sitting on the heels in Vajrasana feels easy, and to start on a block every time. That is how gentle yoga for beginners usually introduces it. If you need a block at home, the guide to yoga blocks and straps covers what to look for.
It is a good place to breathe before a practice ends, or to sit for a few minutes while the legs rest from standing work.
Hero is also a good seat for Lion Pose, Simhasana, with the hands on the knees. Reclined on a bolster and held in the Yin way, this kneel becomes Saddle Pose, and held more briefly, the hatha version is Reclined Hero Pose, Supta Virasana.
Hero Pose questions
Is Hero Pose bad for your knees?
Not when it is propped well. Sit high enough that the knees feel only a mild stretch, never pain. If you have a knee injury, ask your doctor or physiotherapist before you try it.
What is the difference between Hero Pose and Thunderbolt Pose?
In Thunderbolt Pose you sit on your heels. In Hero Pose the feet move outside the hips and you sit between them, which asks more of the knees and the fronts of the thighs.