Morning After Protocol ยท Pose One
Legs Up the Wall After Drinking: How to Do It and Why It Helps
Legs up the wall is a gentle restorative yoga pose you can do the morning after wine, or before bed. You lie on your back with your legs resting up a wall for five to ten minutes. It supports lymphatic flow, eases heavy legs and helps your nervous system shift into rest. It is the first and most important pose in Michele Cary's Morning After Protocol.
How to do legs up the wall
- 1
Find a clear patch of wall and lay down a mat, rug or blanket.
- 2
Sit sideways with one hip touching the wall.
- 3
As you lower your back to the floor, swing your legs up the wall. Let your sit bones rest close to the wall.
- 4
Let your legs be straight, or softly bent if that is more comfortable.
- 5
Rest your arms out to the sides, palms facing up, and close your eyes if that feels right.
- 6
Stay for five to ten minutes with soft, easy breathing. To come out, bend your knees, roll to one side and rest there for a few breaths before you sit up.
Why legs up the wall helps after wine
This is the heart of the Morning After Protocol. When you have had wine, your lymphatic system works harder to move fluid and clear what the body has processed. Legs up the wall gives gravity a rest. Your legs are above your heart, and your body does not have to pump so hard. This pose supports lymphatic flow, helps reduce the heavy feeling in your legs, and invites your nervous system into a parasympathetic state. It is the pose I come back to again and again, not because it is fancy, but because it is simple and it works.
Michele Cary, yoga therapist and WSET certified wine educator
Pair it with water and simple food
The pose works best alongside the basics your body is asking for.
Hydration first
Water with a pinch of salt, an electrolyte drink, or coconut water
Something with potassium and magnesium
Banana with almond butter, or avocado toast
Something gentle with protein
Eggs, or a smoothie with spinach, banana, and nut butter
Something warm and soothing
Ginger tea, or broth based soup
Go further: the full Morning After Protocol
Legs up the wall is pose one of five. The full sequence adds a gentle twist, supported child's pose, cat and cow, and a resting pose, about 17 minutes in all.
See all five posesPractice it with Michele's voice
A free account gives you the guided flow with a timer for each pose, Michele guiding you through it, and a crystal bowl sound bath. No card needed.
Start freeQuestions
Does legs up the wall help after drinking wine?
It can help you feel better while your body does its own work. With your legs above your heart, gravity takes a rest, which supports lymphatic flow, eases the heavy feeling in your legs and invites your nervous system to settle. It is not a cure and it does not speed up how your body processes alcohol.
How long should I stay in legs up the wall?
Five to ten minutes. In the Morning After Protocol it is held for five minutes, then followed by four more gentle poses.
Can I do legs up the wall before bed after drinking?
Yes. Many people find a few minutes before bed calming. Keep it gentle, and come out slowly by rolling to your side first.
Who should skip legs up the wall?
Check with your doctor first if you have glaucoma, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a heart condition, are pregnant, or have a recent back, neck or hip injury. Come out of the pose if you feel dizzy, numb or uncomfortable.
About the author
Michele Cary
Yoga therapist, yoga teacher for 23 years, licensed occupational therapy practitioner and WSET certified wine educator. Creator of the Wine and Body Method and the Morning After Protocol.
Follow @yogawineandagoodtime on InstagramThis article is for general wellness and education and is not medical advice.