Yoga pose of the month: Let's study Janu Sirsasana (Head of the Knee Pose) this month. Take this month to spend time in this pose, teach it to your students, bring it into your practice, and bring on a deeper sense of reflection on it. Here are some ideas for you to consider:
- How far out do you take the knee? If the bent leg foot is flat against the inner thigh, the pelvis is more square and less of the twist. You can also open the knee so that only the toes are on the inner thigh and the heal rests against the inner thigh of the bent leg. Then the fold becomes more of a twist. Which one feels better for you? Why?
- How square can you make your shoulders?
- Can you feel the fold from both hips? When in the pose, one leg (the straight one) has a straight, forward fold. The other (the bent one) is an external rotation forward fold. Which one restricts you?
- How rounded is your back? Mine is a bit too rounded in the photo (confessions of a yogini! :-) ) BUT I will say you can see that my pelvis is defintely folding forward. We want to move the fold from the pelvis, not the spine, until the very end when you can no longer fold from the pelvis and the belly is on the thigh (which mine isn't! :-) )
If you are a teacher, challenge yourself to teach this pose in each class this month. Add this component: Can you find something new to teach (and learn)?