7/14/2014

Head-to-Knee Forward Bend | Yoga Poses | Yoga Journal

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Head-To-Knee Forward Bend

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Janu Sirsasana
(JAH-new shear-SHAHS-anna)
janu = knee
sirsa = head

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Step by Step

Sit on the floor w ith your buttocks

lifted on a folded blanket and your legs
straight in front of you. Inhale, bend your
right knee, and draw the heel back tow ard
your perineum. Rest your right foot sole
lightly against your inner left thigh, and lay
the outer right leg on the floor, w ith the
shin at a right angle to the left leg (if your
right knee doesn't rest comfortably on the
floor, support it w ith a folded blanket).

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Press your right hand against the

inner right groin, w here the thigh joins the pelvis, and your left hand on the floor beside the hip.
Exhale and turn the torso slightly to the left, lifting the torso as you push dow n on and ground the
inner right thigh. Line up your navel w ith the middle of the left thigh. You can just stay here, using a

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Head-to-Knee Forward Bend | Yoga Poses | Yoga Journal

strap to help you lengthen the spine evenly, grounding through the sitting bones.
Or, w hen you are ready, you can drop the strap and reach out w ith your right hand to take
the inner left foot, thumb on the sole. Inhale and lift the front torso, pressing the top of the left thigh
into the floor and extending actively through the left heel. Use the pressure of the left hand on the
floor to increase the tw ist to the left. Then reach your left hand to the outside of the foot. With the
arms fully extended, lengthen the front torso from the pubis to the top of the sternum.
Exhale and extend forw ard from the groins, not the hips. Be sure not to pull yourself
forcefully into the forw ard bend, hunching the back and shortening the front torso. As you
descend, bend your elbow s out to the sides and lift them aw ay from the floor.
Lengthen forw ard into a comfortable stretch. The low er belly should touch the thighs first, the
head last. Stay in the pose anyw here from 1 to 3 minutes. Come up w ith an inhalation and repeat
the instructions w ith the legs reversed for the same length of time.

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Anatomical Focus

Therapeutic Applications

Benefits

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Calms the brain and helps relieve mild depression

Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and groins
Stimulates the liver and kidneys
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Relieves anxiety, fatigue, headache, menstrual discomfort
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia, and sinusitis
Strengthens the back muscles during pregnancy (up to second trimester), done w ithout
coming forw ard, keeping your back spine concave and front torso long.

Contraindications and Cautions

Beginner's Tip

Variations

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Reader Comments
Gwyn

I am curious why asthma is a caution.

Tabassumi m suffering from high gastic problem nd loose motion.What kind of yoga will
help me?
ann

how can one work to improve the stretch?

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