Category: Seated
Level: beginner
Hold: 5–10 breaths per side
Type: Asana
Breath: Inhale to lengthen, exhale to fold

Head-to-Knee Pose

Janu Sirsasana — "knee-to-head posture"

A one-leg-at-a-time forward fold: one leg straight, the other bent with the foot at the inner thigh. Folding over a single leg makes it gentler and more adjustable than the full seated fold.

Step by step

1Sit with both legs extended, then bend your right knee and bring the sole of your right foot to your inner left thigh.
2Let your right knee drop out to the side toward the floor.
3Square your chest over your left leg.
4Inhale and reach your arms up, lengthening your spine.
5Exhale and fold over the straight leg, holding your shin, ankle, or foot.
6Stay for several breaths, lengthening on each inhale and softening on each exhale.
7Rise up and repeat on the other side.

Benefits

✓ Stretches the hamstrings and calf of the extended leg
✓ Opens the hip and inner thigh of the bent leg
✓ Includes a mild side-body stretch as you square over the straight leg
✓ Calms and settles the breath

Make it yours

· Loop a strap around the foot of the straight leg.
· Place a folded blanket under your hips, and a block under the bent knee.
· Rest your forehead on a bolster stacked on your extended leg for a restorative version.

Take care

Support the bent knee with a block or blanket if it hovers uncomfortably.
Bend the extended leg or sit on a blanket if your lower back or hamstrings feel strained.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Props that help here

Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one

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