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Week 17 : Head to Knee Forward Bend
We are going to take it back down on to our mats this week using a lovely forward bend with a slight spinal twist as a counterpose for our very strong back bend, Natarajasana that we did last week.
Come to sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front.
Bend your right knee, place the right foot into the groin area with the heel as high up the thigh as you can manage. Rest the sole of the right foot against the inner thigh of the left leg. Try and bring the outside of the right leg down towards the floor.
(If the leg does not go down – support it with a cushion or blanket).
Bring your left hand down to the floor next to your left hip and the right hand to the inner right thigh. Turn your torso slightly to the left so the belly button lines up with the middle of the left leg and lengthen the spine.
You can just hold this spinal twist if you wish, and then repeat on the other side.
To continue, inhale and lengthen the spine and as you exhale allow the hands to slide down either side of the left leg and extend the torso forward.
Bring the hands as far down the leg as they will go, whilst still extending the spine – remember to fold from the hips and not the waist and reach the chin and the chest forwards.
Lengthen the upper body. Try not to hunch the back or shorten the front of the torso. Aim for the lower abdomen to touch the thighs first and lower the head last.
In the full posture the hands will reach down to the feet or even beyond.
Once you reach the peak of your posture hold for 5 breaths.
Repeat for the same length of time on the other side.
Posture: Head to Knee Forward Bend
Sanskrit name: Janusirsasana
Benefits
*Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings and inner thighs.
*Improves digestion by stretching colon and stimulates the liver and kidneys.
*Relieves anxiety, fatigue and even mild depression.
*Good for high blood pressure and helps with insomnia and sinusitis.
Avoid if: You have asthma, diarreah or a severe knee injury. You can do this with a less flexed knee or with the knee supported with a folded towel underneath it.
Beginners tip: Make sure the foot of the bent leg does not get lodged under the thigh of the other leg. In order to do this make sure the bent leg remains active you can try to turn the foot so you can see part of the sole.
I hope you will enjoy this restorative pose and feel all its re-energizing and rejuvenating benefits. Happy practicing and go well, until next week.
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Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.
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