Photo courtesy of Robert De Vos
Ibiza yoga instructor Susie Howell of Ibiza Retreats continues her series of ‘how-to’ yoga posture explanations.
POSE: Janu Sirasana
MEANING: Rather glamorous this one… simply head to knee pose.
BENEFITS:
- A good old hamstring stretch, this one! Also spine, shoulders and groins too.
- Like the forward bends family, it offers a nice gentle organ squeeze and also an aid for digestion.
HOW TO DO IT:
- Start in Dandasana. Bend your right knee and bring the sole of your foot to the inner left thigh, as close to your groin as possible
- Square your torso over the straight leg and inhale to lengthen the spine from the base of the back
- As you exhale, begin to come forward over the straight leg. Keep your foot flexed and press your straight leg into the mat
- On each inhale, think about extending the spine further and use the exhale to deepen the stretch
- Hold the stretch by holding onto the floor, your legs or even your feet… see where you get to! Feel free to use a strap or a belt to help you with a little extra traction!
- Inhale all the way up and repeat on the other side.
HELPFUL HINT: It’s really not about how far you go. All of us are different and it really helps your practice if you let go of ‘needing’ to be somewhere. Yoga is not a destination and you can’t ‘be good’ at it. It’s just how you feel in the posture. Listen to your body and you will feel the benefits… promise!
Next pose: Half lotus
Previous pose: Paschimottanasana
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