5. Standing Head to Knee Pose
Dandayamana-Janushirasana
Now this isn’t the time to think….”hmmm, perhaps I need to sit out of the first set of this pose.” In reality, we need the postures that we avoid the most. With a bit of focus and determination, it’s usually surprising how quickly we can progress in our postures.
This pose requires the balance to stand on one leg for one minute, the strength to hold the other leg up, and the flexibility to touch your forehead to you knee.
Evidently there’s quite a lot to it, so it’s important not to get discouraged if you find it difficult.
There are four main stages to the pose:
Stage I:
Pick up the right foot with both hands, ten fingers interlaced to the webbing. Hold the ball of the foot and pull the toes towards the face, keeping the right foot extremely flexed.
The right leg should look like an upside-down L shape, with the thigh parallel to the floor and the shin perpendicular. The upper body is in a strong forward bend, so engage those abs to protect the lower back.
The standing leg must stay straight and solid, so it’s important to keep the thigh muscles tight.
Stage II:
If the standing leg is straight with no bending, time to move on!
From here, we lift the upper body and kick the right leg forward, aiming to keep the right leg straight and parallel to the floor.
We want both legs straight and both arms straight, with a lengthened spine and relaxed shoulders.
Stage III:
Bend the elbows down towards the floor and start to round the spine. To maintain the balance and strength, keep pulling the toes back and pushing the heel forwards. Keep rounding the spine here, keep pulling the elbows below the calf muscle, and hug them in at the same time.
Stage IV:
Time to touch the forehead to the knee – only if both legs are still absolutely straight and the elbows are below the calf muscle.
Look down and keep your focus on one point on the floor, tuck your chin to the chest and bring your forehead to the right knee. Continue to round the spine and lift the belly to slide the forehead higher up on the left knee.
Repeat these four stages left side.
Benefits
- Major improvements in balance, concentration, patience and determination
- Stronger and tighter abdominal muscles
- Stronger legs, especially the thigh bicep and hamstrings
- Increases the flexibility of the hamstring and sciatic nerves
- Strengthens the arms by working the biceps and triceps
- Strengthens the shoulders, working the deltoid, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and scapula
- Stretches the lower back
Don’t Cheat
