Desert-island Asana

Well, it would be quite difficult for me to answer the question, "If you could only do one yoga asana (pose), which one would it be?" solely on the basis of preference--there are so many I wouldn't want to live without. However, if the question was, "If you could only teach one asana to a beginning student to help him/her relieve stress, which would it be?" I could answer in a heartbeat: viparita karani, or legs-up-the-wall pose, also called waterfall pose. This is the one cure-all I most rely on: it's an inversion, so it reverses the effects of gravity and allows you to see the world from a different perspective; it's a restorative, very restful pose; but it's also invigorating, a good pose to open up and stretch the backs of the legs. Please follow this link to learn more about this wonderful, gentle, healing asana. Do it in the morning when you don't feel like facing your day, do it in mid-afternoon instead of taking a nap, do it for ten minutes when you get home from work (your spouse and children will thank you--you'll be so much more relaxed and pleasant!), do it before bedtime to wind down. Anytime is a good time for viparita karani!