December Pose Pose of the Month
Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana – Revolved Head to Knee Pose
Parivrtta – (Revolved) Janu – (Knee) Sirsa – (Head) Asana – (Pose)
Level: 1
Welcome to December. I can’t believe it’s December already but I must say I do love this time of year, especially on those wet days when you can stay in and cosy up front of the fire with loved ones. I also find that its easier to experience self care, simply by wrapping up in a big scarf and hugging a hot cup of tea, just these simple acts can be a form of self love when we do them with intention and gratitude.
We’ve worked quite hard over the last few months so now you’ve earned yourself a calming practice! Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head to Knee Pose) is both a relaxing twist and a mood enhancing chest and shoulder opener. You’ll receive an ease-full hamstring stretch as you reach towards the foot and the side-bend also provides compression in one side of the torso this softens the connective tissues around the organs, as a result strengthening and reviving the immune system. At the same time the lateral stretch, opens and lengthens the opposite side of the torso, this helps to strengthen the diaphragm and consequently improves the quality of your breath.
Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana also stretches and releases the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle, a deep abdominal muscle located in your lower back on either side of the spine and is often the muscle responsible for lower back pain. This muscle works quite hard assisting you to sit, stand and walk so if you experience mild lower back pain due to muscle tightness then this is the pose for you.
As a result Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana is known for its ability to reduce stress and promotes a sense of space and peacefulness in your body and mind.
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS
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Calms the mind
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Relives Stress
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
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Increases flexibility of the spine
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Opens the chest and shoulders
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Stretches the hamstrings
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Stimulates the abdominal organs such as the liver and kidneys
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Improves digestion
THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS
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Mild back ache
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Fatigue
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Headaches
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Insomnia
CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS
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Diarrhea
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Pulled Hamstring
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Herniated Disk
HINTS AND TIPS
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If hamstrings are tight, you can bend the knee slightly so you can emphasis the length and space in the spine
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Allow the sit bone of the bent knee to lift just a bit away from the floor as you reach the arm over into the side bend, this will put less pressure on the S.I Joint
#ParivrttaJanuSirsasana #RevolvedHeadtoKneePose #Soothingforwardandsidebend #InvigoratingandrelaxingDecember
