£ GBP
How many times have you heard ‘There’s no way I can do yoga! I can’t even touch my toes!’? Aside from the fact that touching any toes is completely irrelevant to starting a yoga practice, here’s a little secret for you: it’s easier to touch your toes if you take it one foot at a time. Janu Sirsasana makes this abundantly clear.
Janu Sirsasana Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sit in Staff Pose (Dandasana) with both legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your left knee and draw your left heel toward your groin. As you do this, your left knee opens out to the left. Keep your left foot flexed.
- Turn your upper body slightly to the right so that your torso is oriented directly over your right leg when you forward fold.
- On an inhalation, draw your spine long and lift your arms overhead.
- On an exhalation, tip your pelvis forward to rotate into a forward bend from your hip creases over your extended right leg.
- Once you reach your full extension, bring your hands to either side of your right leg or hold onto your right leg or foot for more traction.
- Stay in your forward fold for several breaths before returning to an upright seated position.
- Repeat the posture with your left leg extended.
Head-to-Knee Pose Basics
Sanskrit Meaning: Janu (Knee) Sirsa (Head) Asana (Pose)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Pose Type: Seated
Pose Category: Forward bend
Benefits of Head-to-Knee Pose
- Elongates your hamstrings
- Stretches your calves.
- Stretches your back.
- Improves body awareness.
Janu Sirsasana Key Alignment Cues
1. Orient Your Torso
Before you forward bend, make sure your torso is lined up over your extended leg. You’ll need to twist a little bit from center toward your extended leg to get there.
2. Keep your Spine Long
As in any forward bend, rotate forward from your pelvis with a long spine instead of rounding the spine to get there.
3. Flex Your Feet
Keep the foot on your extended leg flexed to activate your whole leg. Flexing the foot on your bent leg helps keep your knee safe.
Head-to-Knee Preparatory Poses
It’s helpful to warm up your muscles before you do seated stretches. A sequence like Sun Salutations that includes standing forward bends and hamstring stretches is ideal.
Counter Poses
Featured Yoga Mat: Liforme Classic Yoga Mat in Grey
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Opens your chest and hip flexors to counter the forward fold.
Featured Yoga Mat: Liforme Classic Yoga Mat in Purple
Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
A chest opener you can take lying down.
Why We Practice Janu Sirsasana
Taking your hamstring and calf stretch one leg at a time lets you focus on each side in turn, which often produces a deeper fold than stretching over both legs at once. It's also a useful reminder that the asymmetry between your two sides is normal; you just notice it more clearly here.
Make Janu Sirsasana your go-to stretch if you have tight hamstrings. It works particularly well for runners and other athletes as part of a cool-down, once the muscles are already warm.
Head-to-Knee Pose FAQs
What are the benefits of Head-to-Knee Pose?
Janu Sirsasana lengthens the hamstrings and calves of your extended leg, stretches your back, and opens the hip of your bent leg.
What if I can't reach my foot in Janu Sirsasana?
Reaching the foot isn't the point of the pose. Rest your hands wherever they land beside your leg, or loop a strap around the sole of your extended foot so you have something to hold without rounding your spine to get there.
What are the most common mistakes in Head-to-Knee Pose?
Rounding the spine to reach further forward is the main one, since it takes the stretch out of the hamstrings and puts it into the lower back. Forgetting to turn your torso over the extended leg is another, as is letting the extended foot go slack instead of keeping it flexed.
Is Head-to-Knee Pose good for beginners?
Yes. It's a beginner-level pose and easy to adjust.
Do I need props for Janu Sirsasana?
Not necessarily, but a blanket under your sit bones helps you find a long spine, and a strap around your extended foot gives you something to work with if your hamstrings are tight.
