Utthita Janu Sirsasana (Extended Head to Knee)

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and shift your weight to your right foot.
2. Lift your left knee and extend your left leg out to the side at hip height.
3. Hold your left foot with your left hand and straighten your left leg as much as possible.
4. Extend your right arm overhead and laterally bend toward your raised leg.
5. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds, then lower the leg and repeat on the other side.

Form cues

• ✓keep your standing knee soft
• ✓engage your core for stability
• ✓lengthen your spine upward
• ✓keep your hips level
• ✓breathe steadily through the pose

Breathing: Inhale to lengthen your spine, exhale to deepen the stretch and stabilize.

Common mistakes

• ✗rounding the spine, which reduces the stretch in your hamstrings
• ✗locking the standing knee, which puts unnecessary stress on the joint
• ✗leaning too far forward, which compromises your balance
• ✗holding your breath, which increases muscle tension

Muscles worked

Primary: hamstrings. Secondary: hip flexors, obliques, lower back.

Suggested sets & reps

Frequently asked questions

Learn the fundamentals

• Lesson 15Why Exercise Matters Beyond Burning Calories
• Lesson 18Warm-Up and Cool-Down
• Lesson 19Mobility, Stretching, and Corrective Movement

Related Yoga moves

• airplane pose (dekasana)
• anantasana sleeping vishnu pose
• ashtanga namaskar
• bhekasana frog pose
• boat pose (navasana)
• boat pose (navasana) both hands front raise
• bow pose (dhanurasana)
• bridge pose (setu bandhasana)