The Sanskrit word for "knee" is janu, while the word for "head" is sirsa.
This head-on-knee stance has a dynamic effect on the body and provides several advantages.
It stretches the front of the spine and relieves stiffness in leg muscles and hip joints.
All of the joints in the arms, from the shoulders to the knuckles, become more flexible.
BENEFITS:
• Relieves the heart's and mind's impacts of stress
• Helps to keep blood pressure in check.
• Corrects spine curvature and rounded shoulders over time.
• Relieves stiffness in the joints of the shoulder, hip, elbow, wrist, and fingers
• Tone the organs of the abdomen
• Helps to relieve leg stiffness while also strengthening leg muscles.
PRECAUTIONS:
- Always expand out the knee of the extended leg entirely, stretching it uniformly on all sides, to preserve your hamstring muscles.
- Allowing the thigh of the same leg to rise off the floor is not recommended.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Take a seat in Dandasana.
- Move your right knee to the right by bending it.
- Pull your right foot towards your perineum until the big toe of your right thigh meets the inside of your left thigh.
- Make sure your bent knee is firmly placed on the floor.
- Push your bent knee back until the angle between your legs is more than 90 degrees.
- Maintain a straight left leg.
- It should sit exactly in the middle of the left calf.
2. Extend your left foot until the sole feels expanded, but maintain your toes pointing straight up.
- Extend your right knee away from your body even further.
- Then, with your palms facing each other, raise your arms straight over your head. From your hips, stretch your torso up.
- Continue the stretch through your arms and shoulders.
3. Exhale and bend forward from the hips while maintaining your lower back flat.
- To relax the spinal muscles, press your torso down towards your waist for a more efficient stretch.
- Hold your toes and stretch your arms towards your left foot.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEGINNERS:
- Stretch as far down your leg as you can while hanging on to your knee, shin, or ankle if you can't reach your toes.
- You will gradually learn to stretch each region of your body independently, including your buttocks, back, ribs, spine, armpits, elbows, and arms, with practice.
- Maintain contact with the floor with your left thigh, knee, and calf. Always apply pressure to your thigh, not your calf.
4. Increase the stretch now.
- Take a deep breath out and stretch your arms beyond your left foot.
- With your left hand, grasp your right wrist.
- Adjust your posture by stretching your spine and lowering your right knee to the floor.
- Lift your chest and keep your arms straight.
- Hold this posture for 15 seconds while evenly breathing.
5. Take a deep breath out and extend your chest towards your toes.
- Bring your left knee, or as near to it as possible, to your brow. For 30–60 seconds, hold the posture.
HEALING AND REPAIRING YOURSELF:
Visualize the contour of your back in the ultimate stance.
- Only a little portion of the spine at the level of the shoulders is extended if it is rounded, as seen above.
- Extend your arms out from your shoulder blades and lengthen and flatten your lower spine.
JANU SIRSASANA - ADVANCED VERSION OF THE POSE WITH A 360° VIEW:
Your sternum and abdomen should rest on the left thigh as though the leg and torso were one.
- One side of your back and torso may extend more than the other - generally the same side as your outstretched leg.
- Keep this in mind and strive to balance the stretch on both sides.
- Keep your elbows outstretched, expanding them to create chest expansion.
You may also want to try out some more Yoga Asanas For Stress Relief Here.
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References And Further Reading:
- Singh, C., Reddy, T.O. and Singh, V., 2013. Benefit of Yoga Poses for Women during Pregnancy.
- Sena, I. Gusti Made Widya. "Janu Sirsasana: Konsep dan Manfaatnya Bagi Kesehatan Diri." Jurnal Yoga dan Kesehatan 2, no. 1 (2020): 1-11.
- Yonglitthipagon, P., Muansiangsai, S., Wongkhumngern, W., Donpunha, W., Chanavirut, R., Siritaratiwat, W., Mato, L., Eungpinichpong, W. and Janyacharoen, T., 2017. Effect of yoga on the menstrual pain, physical fitness, and quality of life of young women with primary dysmenorrhea. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies, 21(4), pp.840-846.
- Padmanabhan, K., Sudhakar, S., Aravind, S., Kumar, C.P. and Monika, S., 2018. Efficacy of Yoga Asana and Gym Ball Exercises in the management of primary dysmenorrhea: A single-blind, two group, pretest-posttest, randomized controlled trial. CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research, 5(2), p.118.
- Galantino, M.L., Greene, L., Archetto, B., Baumgartner, M., Hassall, P., Murphy, J.K., Umstetter, J. and Desai, K., 2012. A qualitative exploration of the impact of yoga on breast cancer survivors with aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgias. Explore, 8(1), pp.40-47.
- Feuerstein, G., Refining Your Forward Bends With The TFL.
- Riera, A. and Torres, C., 2015. Yoga for Those with Multiple Sclerosis: Exercises to Improve Balance and Manage Symptoms of Pain and Fatigue. Meteor Content Providers.
- Farhi, D., 2000. Yoga mind, body & spirit: A return to wholeness. Macmillan.
- Hainsworth, K.R., Salamon, K.S., Khan, K.A., Mascarenhas, B., Davies, W.H. and Weisman, S.J., 2014. A pilot study of yoga for chronic headaches in youth: Promise amidst challenges. Pain Management Nursing, 15(2), pp.490-498.
- Iyengar, G.S., 2003. About menstruation. Opintomoniste, tekijän hallussa.
- Broad, W.J., 2012. The science of yoga: The risks and the rewards. Simon and Schuster.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is the meaning of janu sirsasana?
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose) is a forward fold, twist, and side body stretch all rolled into one. It may help you relax while also stretching your body. Lengthen your spine and bend from your hip crease instead of rounding your back. Close your eyes and generate a feeling of inner tranquility as you fold forward.
When a desire to go as deep as possible into an asana, or stance, pushes you over your boundaries, illusions of grandeur might arise. Asmita, or ego, is present in both incapacity and humility.
Approach every position with humility and mindfulness to maintain your ego in alignment with reality. Keep your focus on the current moment rather than striving to go too quickly. Without getting too caught up in reaching a goal, try to sense what you're experiencing in your body.
The more you practice Janu Sirsasana, the more you'll discover that the purpose of this position is to slow down, concentrate on your breath, and relax your mind, not to touch your toes.
What are some of the advantages of Janu Sirsasana?
The hamstrings, hips, and groin muscles are stretched in Head-to-Knee Pose. This nice stretch for tight hamstrings is generally beneficial to runners and people who participate in sports that involve running. It's also a restorative position that's said to help you relax and unwind.
Who should avoid doing Janu Sirsasana?
If you have significant low back discomfort, you should avoid this position. One can see that one side of the hip is more flexible than the other in this stance.
What is Janu Sirsasana?
Janu sirsasana is a sequence of sitting forward bends that are asymmetrical. Janu means "knee," sirsa means "head," and asana means "position" in Sanskrit.
The goal of the position is to bring the head closer to the knee by folding the body. The head will really travel past the knee and to the shin in the full expression of the posture, once the hamstrings and back of the body are wide enough.
Janu sirsasana has three primary versions, each with somewhat different alignment of the bent leg with reference to the torso. The fundamental series of Ashtanga yoga incorporates all three versions. Head-to-knee posture is the Western term for janu sirsasana.
