Feeling stiff after a long drive or a long period of sitting? Try out this week’s Pose of The Week to stretch out the legs and side body! Revolved Head to Knee Pose stretches a muscle in the back that is recommended to be stretched out every single day!!
Benefits:
Stretches the muscles of the back (quadratus lumborum), side body, spine and groins. Stretches the hamstrings of the straight leg. Relaxes and calms the body and mind as you draw inward.
How to:
- Begin in a crossed-legged seated position.
- Extend 1 leg out wide towards the side of your mat at close to a 45 degree angle, or wherever is comfortable to you.
- Adjust the foot of the bent knee to be aligned right in front of your center (in front of your pubic bone). If there is ankle pain, try flexing at this foot.
- Reach the outside of the bent leg thigh down towards the Earth.
- Root down through the extended leg heel, while keeping a micro bend at the knee.
- Reach your hip bones up towards the rib cage while the tailbone reaches down towards the Earth.
- Place the fingertips or palm that’s closest to your extended leg either in front, on top or behind the leg (wherever is comfortable).
- Reach up tall with the arm on the side of the bent knee and take a side bend to reach over towards the extended leg.
- The extended arm could be floating in the sky, holding the foot, or bent and the palm reaching behind the head.
- Rotate the heart towards the front of the room.
- Pull the top shoulder back to align above the bottom shoulder.
- Brace and engage the core.
- Lengthen the spine and out through the crown of the head towards the foot of the extended leg.
- If you’re experiencing back pain or pulling in the side body, there is an option to place your bottom arm on a block to bring the Earth closer to you.
- Remember to breathe!
- Keep the core engaged as you slowly rise up back to a tall spine.
Modify it:
Deepend the bend of the extended leg and perhaps place a blanket underneath the knee. Bend the elbow of the arm that’s overhead to release pressure and rest the palm on the head. Use a block to support the body and place underneath the palm of the bottom arm. Experiment with placing the bottom arm or block in front, on top or behind the extended leg to see what feels best. If there is knee pain in the bent leg, reach your heel further away from your center, lessening the bend of the knee.