How to Get Over That Hangover – Pose 3

Janu Sirshasana (Head to Knee Pose)

How To:

1. Sit with both legs spread out in front of you. Make sure you’re balanced on your buttocks with your feet together and your toes pointing upwards.
2. Start with the left leg.  Bend it at the knee and bring your foot as close to the groin region as possible.  Make sure the sole of your foot is parallel to the right thigh.  Also make sure the left knee is on the floor and not floating in the air.
3. Inhale at this position.
4. Now exhaling start to reach out to grasp your toes.  Don’t worry if you are unable to grab your toes.  Make sure not to curve your back.  Imagine that your spine is extending upwards towards the ceiling and you need to work on making your back concave so that your chest is slightly outwards.  You want to aim at getting your abdomen on the thigh.
5. Go as far forward as is comfortable and breathe for some time in this pose.
6. Once you’re comfortable take your awareness to your torso.  You want to try to bring the left side of your body close to the right leg and the right side a little away from the leg.
7. Make sure not to hunch your shoulders.  Throw your shoulders back.
8. Inhale as you come up.
9. Repeat on the left side.

Variations

1. If you’re unable to grab your toes you can also use a belt.  String the belt around the balls of your feet to ensure that your toes continue to point upwards as you come down.
2. If the knee of the folded leg doesn’t touch the floor, you can place a cushion or a folded blanket under it.
3. Pregnant women should practice this only until the second trimester.

Benefits

• Great stretch for your back, legs and shoulders.
• Increases flexibility of the hip joint.
• Massages the kidneys, spleen, pancreas and liver, thereby stimulating their functioning and helping to detoxify the system.
• Stimulates digestion by massaging the abdominal organs and the pelvic region.
• Relieves menstrual pain.
• Eases the effects of stress, tension and strain on your body and relaxes the mind.
• Helps in promoting good posture by correcting the curvature of the spine.
• Helps in alleviating depression and anxiety because it tones and massages the adrenal glands.
• Great to alleviate fatigue.
• Can help in treating symptoms of high blood pressure and insomnia.

Contraindications

• Practice with caution if you have asthma or diarrhoea.
• Practice with caution if you have slipped disc, sciatica or hernia.