The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › Standing Head to Knee Pose
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Benefits of Hot Yoga › Standing Head to Knee Pose
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Hello,
I am torn between two different ways of doing the Standing Head to Knee pose.
I am not yet flexible enough to interlock all of my fingers and thumbs, lift my foot up and then extend my raised leg out. I usually lock out my standing leg, then I grab my toes (my fingers are not interlocked) and then I extend my raised leg straight out. When I do this both of my knees are lock and I can feel the stretch.
The problem is that I do not seem to be getting any better or more flexible in this pose doing it this way. The best I can do with interlocked fingers and thumbs is I can lift up my foot but I cannot extend the leg. Should I just keep the knee bent with all fingers interlocked to build up my flexibility quicker? Or should I just keep grabbing my toes and locking my knees out?
Namaste
SteveHi Steve
A quick answer for you so that you can try something and then get back to me.
Don’t interlock your thumbs. Just get your fingers interlocked to the ‘webbing’ and allow your thumbs to cross if they are close enough to do so. You will instantly make it easier on yourself when you do that.
I would now try your pose in first position for several classes before even trying to extend to experience the new sensations. Notice how you feel in your arms and shoulders when you do this and what is different with the muscles you were and will be using.
Let me know how it goes
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi there,
I took your advice tonight and it seemed to go well. I was able to lock my fingers and just touch my thumbs. I was very tempted to try to extend the leg but I knew it would just put me into bad form.
Near the end of class I was thinking that maybe working a little harder in Sitting Head to Knee would really help my Standing Head to Knee pose.
Are there any stretches you could recommend that I do day-to-day at the office to bring me closer to my goal?Namaste,
SteveHi Steve
That’s great news. I knew that it would be the start of great things for you in this pose (and the others like it!).
There is a common thread between these 2 Janushirasana poses. The best practice you can do is to learn how to set up the dynamic in the right way (and I guess that is what you meant by working harder in Sitting Head to Knee! This is your key. The forum posts will help you.
If you are talking about something you can do to set this up and practice it while working then I can’t offer you anything off the top of my head that could be practiced at a desk. Is that what you mean?
Come back if you need more help!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hello,
I have tried just interlocking my fingers to the webbing and staying in first position for the past several classes now and slowly I have been able to stretch further into this pose.
On Friday I was finally able to interlock all of my fingers AND my thumbs and then I extended my leg and held the postion for about half the time. I really felt the stretch and I still have a ways to go… but it was great to conquer that little obstacle!Thanks for your help!
Namaste
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