This week’s pose of the week is Janu Sirsasana “A” or Head-to-Knee Pose A.
The FOCUS of head-to-knee pose is really the extension of the sternum toward the knee. You should try your best to get extension in the back and avoid rounding.
Rotate your right hip joint externally, while pointing your knee out to the side at a 90-degree angle.
Try to relax the hip joint so the ball and socket can open and release.
The sole of your right foot is resting against your inner left thigh and the right heel rests close to the pubic bone.
Constantly roll your upper thigh toward the back of your pelvis while elongating your inner thigh muscles. It sounds like a lot but really it is not.
Once you have the external rotation of the right thigh, fold your pelvis as far forward as possible and align your torso OVER your left thigh.
Your heart, sternum, and public bone should be aligned and centered toward the left knee.
Reach your chin to your left shin and gaze toward the toes of your left foot.
Kept the left leg engaged and active.
Hold for five breaths and do the other side.
Remember, never force a pose but advance your practice with effort and ease. Check out Kino’s YouTube on the pose. It is only 3:18 but will give you a deeper understanding of the asana.
By Dr. Bruce E. Barkus
Dr. Bruce E. Barkus came to yoga, like most people, to become more flexible, get stronger and reduce stress. Low and behold he fell in love with all the other benefits yoga provides. He has been very consistent with a daily practice for the last eleven years and has come to look at it as part of his daily routine. Bruce’s certifications are Yoga Alliance RYT 500 through Asheville Yoga Center and 500 hours of Ashtanga Training for teachers with Miami Life Center. He teaches Ashtanga at Level Yoga in Vero Beach Florida and at Asheville Yoga Center. Over time, his students started asking for more details on poses and the benefits of a daily practice, so he started doing the pose of the week. There have been many that have guided his yoga practice, including Kino MacGregor, Tim Feldmann, Doug Keller, David Keil, Manju Jois, Stephanie Keach, and Lewis Rothlein. The poses he shares are primarily from the Ashtanga Primary Series as he finds the basic postures build a solid foundation for all the advanced poses.
