Janu Sirsasana  is one of the most important and popular asanas that helps people to enhance the flexibility of their hamstring muscles, hip joints, shoulders, arms, thighs, back and more. Along with this, it also soothes your mind as well as calms your heart. The Janu Sirasasana should normally be performed while your stomach is completely empty. This is an excellent stretching workout for your overall body and health. The name of Janusirasana comes from Sanskrit words such as Janu meaning “knee”, sirsha meaning “head” and asana meaning “seat” or “posture”.

Description:

• Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you, quadriceps contracted and toes flexed.
• Bend the right knee slowly, placing the right heel close to perineum.
• Raise your hands, bring them together on top your head.
• Slowly turning left, bend forward and hold your left foot big toe with your thumb, index finger and middle fingers of both hands
• Slowly bend your head and try to touch left knee
• Keep in the pose for few seconds
• While inhaling, slowly comeback and release your hands
• You can change the sides, and do the same on the right side

Breathtaking Activities:

Exhale as you bend your body, head and holding the toes. Inhale as you come back up.

Duration:

You can keep the pose thirty to sixty (30 – 60) seconds on each of your legs. 

Benefits:

• Janu Sirsasana is a superior yoga pose for obtaining flexibility of your hamstrings, legs, thighs and arms
• This yoga pose also calms your mind as well as includes a soothing benefit of your heart
• It not only calms your mind, but also appears as a therapeutic for your mild depression issues
• Janu Sirsasana stimulates digestion
• The asana stretches your hips and back of your groins & body
• It has the capability to relieve your menstrual discomfort, fatigue, anxiety and headache
• This yoga pose stimulates your liver and kidneys
• Janu Sirsasana stretches your back muscles and spine
• It stimulates as well as massages your internal organs
• Improves digestion and aids healing the gastric ailments
• This asana calms your central nervous system
• Janu Sirsasana also aids in relieving the symptoms of menopause
• Considered as a therapeutic for insomnia, high blood pressure and depression

Precautions:

• Avoid doing Janu Sirsasana if you have recent or knee injury, inflammation or chronic back
• Janu Sirsasana is not suitable for people who have asthma or diarrhea
• If you have a severe knee injury, ensure that you do not bend it more. You can use a folded blanket for better support
• Avoid this asana when you face problems with severe lower back injury or lumbar disc herniation

Complimenting asana

Janusirsasana includes several complementing yoga poses such as Supta Padangustasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Baddha Konasana and Paschimottanasana.