Janu Sirsasana – Yoga has been evolving since it was born. The classical texts of yoga narrate numerous yoga forms and asanas that have been helping humans to heal and live longer. As time has moved on, the problems of the human race have also evolved, now to suit and cure the modern time problems, yoga has transformed. This transformation doesn’t mean that the authentic yoga practice has been ruined, but it means that along with the old yoga practice, some new modifications are also added to ensure much more effectiveness of Yoga.
Among different poses that aim to fight and prevent modern-day ailments, Janu Sirsasana is also one. In this blog, we will understand more about Janu Sirsasana and its benefits. You will also learn how to perform Janu Sirsasana by following some very easy steps. So, stay tuned till the end of the blog to uncover these interesting facts of head-to-knee yoga pose.
What is Janu Sirsasana?
Janu Sirsasana is made up of a combination of some Sanskrit words. In this terminology, Janu stands for knee, and sirsa stands for head, while asana stands for the yoga posture. So by combining all these three words, you can understand that Janu Sirsasana is a head-to-knee yoga pose. As the primitive yoga text does not speak about Janu Sirsasana, we can accept it as a modern-day yoga pose. Although it is not mentioned in the very old yoga disciplines, this pose has evolved from the ancient yoga practice and holds tremendous benefits for human health. It is seen that maybe not Janusirsa Asana, but a pose that is called Mahamudra is found in the ancient yoga text.
So some believe that Janu Sirsasana was born from that very mudra. Talking about its origin, this pose was first introduced in 1934, that is, in the 20th century, by the healer named Krishnamacharya. Later, Krishnamacharya’s students and disciples spread the benefits and the steps of Janu Sirsasana to the whole world. If we talk about the type of pose or yoga practice, then it is a seated forward bend pose. It helps in strengthening the lower back, the hamstrings, and the abdominal area. It is also a beautiful pose for strengthening the shoulders. It also offers a very good stretch to the whole human body.
Janu Sirsasana Benefits
Janu Sirsasana offers the following benefits:
1. Better flexibility: Janu Sirsasana is a pose that offers a good dose of flexibility to the whole body. It involves all the muscles right from the head to the knee, ensuring fluidity in movement. When the whole body is engaged, the flexibility is enhanced. This helps in overall physical health and better mobility.
2. Good muscles: This is a holistic and very natural way of building muscles. Janu Sirsasana helps strengthen the body’s muscles. This pose also involves the core; therefore, good strength in the core is also one of its benefits. Janu Sirsasana helps in balancing and building the body endurance, ensuring good stability and stronger muscles.
3. Better Gut: When you perform Janu Sirsasana, you will feel a gentle compression on your gut. This gives a beautiful massage to your abdominal organs. When the abdominal organs are massaged, they are stimulated, which ensures better working of the gut and improved digestion. This pose helps in better food absorption and a healthy gut.
4. Good Mental Health: Janu Sirsasana not only helps in physical benefits, but it also offers great mental health benefits. When performed regularly, Janu Sirsasana has the power to calm the nervous system and reduce our mental fog and stress. This pose helps in gaining good mental clarity, focus, and concentration.
5. Good spinal health: One of the topmost benefits that Janu Sirsasana offers to the human body is a good and strong spinal cord. This pose brings the whole spinal cord into alignment, and by daily practising this pose, helps in keeping the spine straight, flexible, and reduces the tension on it.
6. Emotional support: This pose also offers emotional wellbeing also. Janu Sirsasana helps one to turn inward. You can achieve self-awareness through this yoga pose. This pose is a beautiful journey of self-discovery. Janu Sirsasana has a great power of transformation. This pose offers good confidence, focus, and willpower.
7. Harmony: The multifold benefits of Janu Sirsasana help in balancing emotional health, physical health, and mental health. When these three important pillars of human health are balanced, it leads to overall well-being and wholesomeness. This is a natural way of attaining good health and longevity.
Read More: Benefits and The 12 Steps of Hatha Yoga Sun Salutation
How to do Janu Sirsasana?
Here are the simple steps to perform Janu Sirsasana:
1. Roll out your yoga mat to begin the Dandasana or the staff pose by sitting on the floor and keeping your legs extended in front of you.
2. Your spine should be upright, and your shoulders must be relaxed.
3. Now keep flexing your feet in order to engage the muscles of both legs.
4. Now you have to bend your right knee and bring it toward your chest.
5. This should be done by bringing the sole of your other foot, that is, the right one, against the inner side of your left thigh.
6. Now make sure that your right knee is dropping out to the opposite side.
7. Now you have to take a deep breath and start lengthening your spine, and bring the crown of your head towards the ceiling.
8. Now you have to rotate your torso and bring it towards the left.
9. Your navel must be aligned with your legs.
10. Now, as you exhale, you have to make a forward bend. While bending down, you must avoid rounding your spine. It should be straight.
11. Now, stretch your hand and hold your left foot as if you are hugging your foot by interlocking your fingers.
12. Never force this. Just do as per your capacity. Bend as per your capacity.
13. Now you have to relax your neck and your shoulder, and your head should gently bend toward your knee.
14. Now you have to breathe very evenly and consciously and feel your spine lengthening and a good stretch in your whole body, including your gut.
15. You can hold this pose for at least 5 to 10 breaths and repeat it as per your comfort.
Read More: Akarna Dhanurasana: Steps, Benefits, Procedure
Tips for the beginners.
1. Beginners should use props to avoid any kind of injury and support the pose.
2. Always focus on the alignment and the stretch that the whole body is getting during the pose.
3. Always be patient. Never overdo the pose. Stretch as per your capacity. Do not overstretch.
Janu Sirsasana Contraindications
There are some contradictions in Janu Sirsasana:
1. If you are having chronic back pain or have a back injury, then you should practice Janu Sirsasana with a lot of caution, only if it is advisable by your healthcare professional or yoga instructor.
2. If you are having knee pain or a severe knee issue, then you must avoid this pose or practice only if it is advisable by your healthcare professional or your yogic teacher, yoga teacher.
3. If you are feeling hamstring strain, then this pose can become painful. Therefore, you should not force the stretching and always use props and proper guidance while performing it.
4. During the pregnancy, especially in the later phases, you should avoid forward bends. Always consult your doctor and the yoga instructor on what level of bend you can perform.
5. People suffering from a herniated disc should be very cautious while performing any kind of forward bend. It should always be under the guidance of an experienced yoga professional and your doctor.
6. People with high blood pressure should also avoid deep forward bends because they can raise their blood pressure and can be dangerous. Therefore, always consult with your healthcare professional and the yoga teacher before performing any kind of yoga or such forward bends.
Read More: Bhujangasana contraindications (Cobra Pose)
Conclusion
Janu Sirsasana is a modern-day pose and a beautiful seated forward bend. This pose holds the virtues to heal the whole human body. It offers a perfect relaxing stretch to the whole human physical form, right from the spine to the head to the legs and even the gut. Everything is involved in this pose. This is an effective pose that helps in gaining good gut health, good spinal health, good muscle health, good mental health, good emotional health, and overall well-being.
If you are looking for a full-fledged stretch, then find yourself a wonderful place to practice yoga and an experienced yoga teacher, and start to include this pose in your daily routine. This will give you a daily dose of energy to conquer your day and lead a stress-free life.
