Pose library · Supta Virasana
Reclined Hero Pose (Supta Virasana)
Supta means reclining, vira means hero and asana means posture. It is Hero Pose, the kneeling seat with the feet beside the hips, taken back onto the forearms or the floor.
Reclined Hero Pose (Supta Virasana) is Hero Pose taken back onto the forearms or a bolster, stretching the fronts of the thighs. Sit on a block between the feet, lean back onto the hands, then the forearms, and onto a bolster only if knees and back feel fine. If the knees hurt sitting upright, do not lie back.
Pronunciation and meaning
Supta Virasana: SOOP-tuh veer-AHS-uh-nuh. Supta stresses the first syllable, and Virasana stresses AHS.
Supta means reclining, vira means hero and asana means posture. It is Hero Pose, the kneeling seat with the feet beside the hips, taken back onto the forearms or the floor.
How to do Reclined Hero Pose
- Kneel with the knees close together and the feet slightly wider than the hips, tops of the feet on the mat. Sit on a block or bolster between the feet, never on the feet themselves.
- Check the knees. If there is any pain or strong pressure in them, stay upright in Hero Pose or sit higher. Do not go further.
- Place a bolster lengthwise behind you. Lean back onto your hands, then lower onto the forearms one at a time, keeping the knees on the floor and close together.
- If the knees and lower back are comfortable, lower the back onto the bolster. Draw the tailbone gently toward the knees so the lower back stays long.
- Rest the arms out to the sides and breathe slowly for five to ten breaths.
- Come up the way you went down: press onto the forearms, then the hands, and sit upright before stretching the legs out one at a time.
Reclined Hero Pose step by step
Drawings and video by YogaPhilippines.com, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit and a link: see the image licence for how to credit.
For other poses that work the quads, open the pose finder set to the quads.
Make it easier
- Stay on the forearms, half reclined, with the bolster under the upper back only.
- Recline on one side at a time: one leg folded back as in Hero, the other foot flat on the floor with the knee bent.
- Add a second block under the hips, or a rolled towel under the ankles.
Pregnancy and after birth
Pregnancy. Adapt. Keep a high bolster under the whole back so you stay well propped, and widen the knees for the belly, or stay upright in Hero Pose. Check with your OB or midwife.
After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife has cleared you, start half reclined on a high bolster. Ease off if you feel a pull along a caesarean scar or across the belly.
Expecting? Joahnna Lee Yoga has notes on adapting each trimester.
Common mistakes
- Lying back when the knees already hurt upright. The knees decide, not the back.
- Letting the knees lift and splay wide, which arches the lower back hard.
Reclined Hero Pose is a deep stretch for the fronts of the thighs, the front of the hips and the ankles. In a hatha class it often comes near the end, after the standing work, when the legs are warm.
It is a pose for people whose knees are already happy in Hero Pose, the kneeling seat on a block. If sitting upright is not yet easy, stay there, or step back to Thunderbolt Pose, sitting on the heels. That is a full practice, not a lesser one.
How do you know if your knees are ready?
Sit in Hero on a block for a minute. If the knees feel fine, try leaning back in stages. If you feel pain inside the knee, a pinch at the side of the joint, or pain that lingers afterwards, leave the reclined version out and see a doctor or physio if it continues.
What can you do instead?
The quad stretch, standing and lying reaches the same muscles with far less knee bending. For a long, supported hold in the Yin style, see Saddle Pose, the Yin version. Still choosing an upright kneel first? Hero Pose and Thunderbolt Pose compared shows which suits your knees.
Prep poses for Reclined Hero Pose
Poses that warm up the same body areas at a lower intensity, so Reclined Hero Pose feels steadier when you get there.
- Hero Pose (Virasana) a direct preparation, beginner plus
- Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) gentler work for the same area, beginner plus
- Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) gentler work for the same area, intermediate
Counter-poses for Reclined Hero Pose
Shapes that move the body the other way or let it rest straight after Reclined Hero Pose.
- Knees to Chest beginner
Props that help in Reclined Hero Pose
- Bolster: supports the body so you can stay longer with less effort.
- Block: goes under the sacrum, the head or a knee for support.
- Blanket: supports the head or the back so the neck stays relaxed.
Sources: Mayo Clinic, Fitness program: 5 steps to get started; NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health), Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety; NHS, Knee pain. Last reviewed 2 October 2026.
Reclined Hero Pose questions
Is reclined hero pose bad for the knees?
Deep knee bending with the shins turned out is a lot to ask of the knee, so it is not for every body. With height under the hips and no pain, many people find it comfortable. If you have had a knee injury or surgery, or feel pain in the joint, skip it and ask a doctor or physio.
What is the difference between Supta Virasana and Saddle Pose?
The shape is similar. Supta Virasana is usually held for a shorter time with the muscles gently active, as in a hatha class. Saddle Pose is the Yin version, held for minutes with the muscles relaxed and the body supported on props.
Why do the fronts of the thighs feel so strong in reclined hero?
Leaning back with the knees fully bent stretches the quads and the front of the hips at once. If it feels too strong, stay on the forearms or add a bolster.
What is the difference between Virasana and Supta Virasana?
Virasana, Hero Pose, is the upright kneeling seat with the feet beside the hips and a block under you. Supta Virasana, Reclined Hero, takes that same seat back onto the forearms or a bolster, so the stretch spreads into the fronts of the thighs and hips. Only recline if the knees are already comfortable sitting upright.
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