Tip of the Week: Head to Knee Pose

Benefits of Head to Knee Pose with Stretching Pose:

• Improves the flexibility of the sciatic nerve and joints of the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists.
• Increases flexibility of the last five vertebrae of the spine. 
• Excellent for the immune and lymphatic systems.
• Increases circulation to the liver, spleen, pancreas, thyroid, thymus and intestines. 
• Good for allergies and arthritis.

Today we will be focusing on Head to Knee Pose. Stay tuned next week for Stretching Pose. 

Sitting upright, bring your right leg out corner wise. Bring your left leg in so your heel touches your costume, and your left foot is resting on your right bicep muscle. Bring your hands over your head, interlock your fingers, and reach down to the right side grabbing the right foot with fingers interlocked, just a couple of inches below the toes. Pull on your toes as hard as possible, and flex your foot as hard as you can until your heel comes up off the floor.

*Tip: Before you try to bring your head to your knee, first bring your elbows down to the sides of your knees. (Think of the sequence in Standing Head to Knee: first elbows to sides of knee, then head to knee).

Next bring your chin to your chest, look at your stomach, and touch your forehead to the knee.

*Tip: If your head can't reach your knee with your leg straight, bend your leg up until your head touches your knee. Your head MUST touch your knee to get the full benefits.

Now try to even out your shoulders by bringing your left shoulder and left elbow down more. Left knee should stay flat on the floor.

After repeating on the other side, this pose is immediately followed with Stretching Pose which we will be going over next week, so check back! :)