Virasana - The Hero

Introduction

vīra वीर : male, warrior, hero, chief; spouse, sun || Lat. vir fr. viril

The "Valiant Warrior," Vira Ganapati, assumes a commanding pose. His 16 arms bristle with weapons, symbols of mind powers: a goad, discus, bow, arrow, sword, shield, spear, mace, a battleaxe, a trident and more.

Presentation

The staring point consists on kneeling on the floor, with the thighs perpendicular to the floor, and the medial aspect of the knees together. The feet are then spread apart, slightly wider than the hips, with the tops of the feet flat on the floor. The big toes are slightly bent in toward each other and the top of each foot is pressed evenly on the floor.

Upon exhalation, the body moves back halfway, with the torso leaning slightly forward. The thumbs are wedged into the backs of the knees and the skin and flesh of the calf muscles is drawn toward the heels. Then the buttocks come down between the feet.

Length: no more than 1 minute in the beginning. Up to 5 minutes with experience.

Coming out: The torso comes forward slowly and rests on the thighs. The pressure on the heels is very slowly decreased by lifting the buttocks up, slightly higher than the heels.