Hero Pose (Virasana): How To Do It, Step By Step
Hero pose (Virasana): the short answer
Hero pose is a kneeling pose where you sit between your feet, not on them, with your back upright. It stretches the fronts of the thighs, the knees, the ankles and the feet, and it is a steady, quiet seat for breathing. In Iyengar yoga we almost always put a block or folded blankets under the buttocks, so hero pose is kind to the knees from the first day.
Here is the whole page in short form.
- Sit between the feet, not on them
- Toes point straight back, knees close together
- Height under the buttocks until the knees are happy
- Three useful variations: arms up, forward bend, lying back
- Dr J. T. Shah, a medical doctor who was also an Iyengar yoga teacher, who worked closely with Mr BKS Iyengar for many years, links it to digestion, the knees and feet and a quiet mind
- Learn it in class, in Darwin or LIVE online
Hero pose: English and Sanskrit names
| English name | Hero Pose |
| Other English names | Hero’s Pose (Dr Shah’s name), Kneeling Hero Pose, Hero Sitting Pose |
| Sanskrit name | Virasana (veer-AHS-ana) |
| What the Sanskrit means | Vira means hero or warrior |
| Variations on this page | Hero Pose with arms up (Parvatasana in Virasana), Downward Facing Hero Pose (Adho Mukha Virasana), Reclining Hero Pose (Supta Virasana) |
| Pose type | Seated (kneeling) pose |
| Level | Beginner, with height under the buttocks. Dr Shah marks it easy. |
Hero pose with the arms up, by the sea in Darwin
Chris Lalor in hero pose with the arms up: the hips sit between the feet and the trunk lifts tall.
How do you do hero pose?
These are the hero pose steps, in plain order.
- Kneel on a mat with your knees together and your feet a little wider than your hips.
- Point your toes straight back, with the tops of the feet flat on the mat.
- Put a block or folded blankets between your feet, ready to sit on.
- With your thumbs, turn the calf muscles out to the sides as you sit down.
- Sit down between your feet, onto the block or blankets. Your feet stay beside your hips, not under them.
- Rest your hands on your knees, palms up, and lift your back tall.
- Breathe normally. Stay for half a minute to start and build up.
- To come out, lean forward onto your hands, lift your hips and stretch your legs back one at a time.
That is how to do hero pose. If you can sit on the floor easily, take the block away. If the knees complain, add more height.
Hero pose with the fingers interlocked, palms up
Hero pose with the fingers interlocked and the palms turned up. It stretches the shoulders and lifts the chest.
What props help in hero pose?
- A block or brick under the buttocks, flat or on its side for more height.
- Folded blankets under the buttocks, in place of a block.
- A rolled blanket under the fronts of the ankles, if the ankles ache.
- A thin folded blanket behind the knees, to make a little more room in the knee.
- A bolster to rest the head on in the forward bend, or to lie back on in Reclining Hero Pose.
Our beginner prop pack and blanket and block pack cover these. See also yoga blocks, yoga blanket and yoga bolster.
What mistakes should you avoid in hero pose?
- Sitting on the feet. That is a different pose. In hero pose the hips are between the feet.
- Feet turning out or in. Point the toes straight back.
- Knees wide apart. Keep them close together.
- Too little height. If the knees hurt, add a block or another blanket.
- Slumping. Lift the trunk up from the hips and broaden the chest.
- Staying too long at first. Build up the time slowly.
Downward facing hero pose, the resting forward bend
Downward Facing Hero Pose: big toes together, knees apart, arms stretched forward. Dr Shah ends hero pose by folding forward into it.
Dr Shah’s steps end hero pose by bending forward into Downward Facing Hero Pose (Adho Mukha Virasana). For this the big toes touch and the knees open wider than the hips. Rest the forehead on the floor, a block or a bolster.
Who should take care in hero pose?
- Sore or stiff knees. Add height under the buttocks until the knees are comfortable. For the forward bend with knee problems, Chris’s advice is to sit between two chairs with a bolster across them and rest the head there, so there is no pressure in the knees (Chris Lalor, Masterclass 3 class notes, 25 October 2026).
- Aching ankles. Put a rolled blanket under the fronts of the ankles (Chris Lalor, Masterclass 3 class notes, 25 October 2026).
- Serious bone and joint problems. Dr Shah says to modify the poses with an experienced teacher (Dr J. T. Shah, Therapeutic Yoga, p. xiii).
- Do not force it. Dr Shah: know your limits and do not force yourself into any pose (Therapeutic Yoga, p. xiii).
What are the benefits of hero pose?
Benefits, as Dr Shah shows them
Dr J. T. Shah was a medical doctor who worked with Mr BKS Iyengar. His book Therapeutic Yoga carries a foreword by Mr Iyengar and colour-codes every pose by the body systems it works on. This is a doctor’s teaching from long practice, not a trial result.
Body systems he marks for hero pose: the spine, the belly organs, the joints, the nervous system and the endocrine glands (hormone glands). His front chart lists it for the digestive system and the genito-urinary system (bladder and reproductive organs) (p. xvi), and his condition chart lists it for indigestion and constipation, hyperacidity (too much stomach acid) and painful periods (pp. xviii to xix).
What he says it does, in our words:
- Strengthens the spine.
- Helps digestion. In his words, it
tones stomach and improves digestion
. - Massages the pelvic organs.
- Makes the toes, ankles and knees more flexible.
- Deepens the arches of the feet.
- Calms you. In his words, it
quietens the mind
. - Trims fat around the thighs and calves.
What he lists it for: a weak spine, indigestion, prostate and womb problems, stiff toes, ankles and knees, flat feet, anxiety and tension, painful periods, and fat around the thighs and calves.
Source: Dr J. T. Shah, Therapeutic Yoga (foreword by Mr BKS Iyengar), p. 25.
In our experience hero pose, done with enough height, is very likely to help stiff knees, ankles and feet, and it is a calm seat for the breath. It is well worth trying. Not every effect Dr Shah lists has been tested in modern trials yet, and not yet tested is not the same as wrong.
Reclining hero pose over a brick
Reclining Hero Pose lies back from hero pose. Learn it with a teacher, usually over a bolster first.
What does Iyengar yoga teach about hero pose?
Flametree teaches in the Iyengar yoga style. During the 20th century, Mr BKS Iyengar was the major person who codified traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his widespread teaching. He also pioneered the use of props, so more people can do more poses well. His style is sometimes called modern classical yoga.
Hero pose is a good example. Without props many adults cannot sit in it at all. With a block or blankets under the buttocks, almost everyone can, and the knees and feet slowly open over the weeks. It is also a useful seat for arm stretches and for breathing practice (pranayama).
See also yoga or Iyengar yoga: what is the difference?
Where to go next
- Related poses and reading: Bound Angle Pose, the butterfly stretch, Seated Forward Bend and shoulder mobility
- Guides from our yoga for health conditions encyclopaedia: hip and knee pain, foot pain and flat feet, IBS, reflux and constipation and anxiety and anger
- Back to all yoga poses, or the longer pose and practice notes
Learn hero pose with a teacher in Darwin or LIVE online
- New to yoga? Half price beginner classes, plus 2 free
- Done yoga before, or away 3 months or more? 2 free classes, then 10 non-beginner classes at half price
- Beginner timetable and group or private classes
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Hero pose: your questions
What is hero pose called in Sanskrit?
Virasana. Vira means hero or warrior.
Do you sit on your feet in hero pose?
No. In hero pose you sit between your feet, with the feet beside the hips. Sitting on the heels is a different pose.
Is hero pose bad for your knees?
Not when it is done with enough height under the buttocks. Dr Shah lists it to make stiff knees more flexible. If the knees hurt, add height and tell your teacher.
What can I sit on in hero pose?
A yoga block or brick, or two or three folded blankets. Use as much height as your knees need.
How long should you hold hero pose?
Start with half a minute and build up to a few minutes. It is often held longer when used as a seat for breathing.
What is the difference between hero pose and child’s pose?
In hero pose you sit upright. In Downward Facing Hero Pose, the child’s pose family, you fold forward with the knees apart and the arms stretched ahead.
What are the benefits of hero pose?
Dr J. T. Shah says it strengthens the spine, tones the stomach and improves digestion, makes the toes, ankles and knees more flexible, deepens the arches of the feet and quietens the mind.
Is hero pose good for flat feet?
Dr Shah lists flat feet among the problems hero pose helps, because it stretches the tops of the feet and deepens the arches.
Where can I learn hero pose in Darwin?
Come to a Flametree class in Darwin or LIVE online. Start with the half price beginner deal, or the starter deal if you have done yoga before.
Last updated: 4 November 2026. General information, not medical advice.
