‘Parivrtta ’ means revolved, ‘Janu’ means knee, ‘shirsha’ means head. Find length in your sides and a deeper twist as you move step by step into Parivrtta Janu Shirshasana. It is an intense spinal twist and chest opener that releases diaphragmatic tension, enhancing breathing.
Organising the Pose:
1. Sit with the legs about a meter apart.
2. Bend your left knee and place the heel against the perineum. Bend forward, inclining the body towards the right to hold the right foot with the right hand. The hand holding the foot from the inside so the fingers are in contact with the arch of the foot and the thumb on top. Place the elbow on the floor on the inside of the straight leg.
3. Bring the left arm over the head and grasp the right foot with left hand.
4. Contracting the arms try to pull the right shoulder towards the right foot. At this point to attain a deeper twist reach the right arm across and place it on the left bent knee at the same time easing the head under the left arm, relaxing the back and twisting the trunk as much as is possible. The chest opens and faces forwards. This is Parivrtta Janu Shirshasana.
5. Hold the pose for as long as you comfortably can.
6. Release the hands, raising the left arm over the head, and slowly return to the upright position.
7. Repeat the movement on the other side.
DO:
- Revolve your chest and abdomen to feel the complete twist.
DON’T:
- Don’t practice this pose if you have back issues or complaints.
- Pregnant women should not practice this pose.
BENEFITS:
- Trims the waist by giving a lateral stretch to the body.
- Also stretches the hamstrings and behind the shoulders.
- Gives a beneficial compression to the abdominal muscles and organs on one side of the body while stretching the other side simultaneously.
- It prepares the body for long hours of meditation
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj- Yoga Expert