asana: parivrtta janu sirsasana

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parivrtta janu sirsasana
„inverted head-knee pose“

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last update: 30.12.2018
Name: parivrtta janu sirsasana
Trivial name: inverted head-knee pose
Level: FA

Classification

classic: sitting posture
psychomental: _
physiological: lateral trunk flexion with ischiocrural extension and marked abduction

Contraindication

Postures and movements that laterally flex the lumbar spine are contraindicated in the case of acute disc disease in the lumbar spine and can cause pain and have a detrimental effect on the resolution of symptoms.

Effects

Preparation

On the side of the extended leg, as it is extended and the pelvis is tilted towards it, the hamstrings is stretched, prepare with:

  1. uttanasana as a generally effective and efficient stretch of the ischiocrural group to prepare for flexion in the hip joints in this pose
  2. prasarita padottanasana very similar to uttanasana
  3. parsvottanasana as a stretch that goes beyond uttanasana
  4. pascimottanasana
  5. janu sirsasana
  6. tryangamukhaikapada pascimottanasana
  7. downface dog as another good preparation for the hamstrings when the pelvis is tilted powerfully
  8. hip opener 5 as a very effective stretch of the hamstrings that goes beyond uttanasana
  9. warrior 3 pose
  10. trikonasana
  11. parivrtta trikonasana
  12. parivrtta ardha chandrasana

The arm reaching overhead to the outside foot is in 180° frontal abduction, this can be prepared with:

  1. downface dog, especially the „wide“ variation as a general stretch of the muscles of the shoulder joint and the hamstrings
  2. Back extension, in particular the „raised “ variation as a general stretch for the muscles of the shoulder joint and the hamstrings
  3. Right-angled handstand as a preparatory pose
  4. Handstand as a preparatory, synergistic posture with regard to the frontal abduction of the arms
  5. Elbow stand as a preparatory, synergistic posture in relation to the frontal abduction of the arms
  6. right-angled el bow stand as a preparatory, synergistic posture with regard to the frontal abduction of the arms
  7. Dog elbow pose as a preparatory, synergistic posture with regard to the frontal abduction of the arms
  8. Hyperbola as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction without exorotation of the arms
  9. Shoulder opening on the chair as one of the most effective and efficient stretches in the direction of frontal abduction with exorotation of the arms

The rotation of the upper body corresponds to that in trikonasana, practise this:

  1. trikonasana
  2. ardha chandrasana
  3. Seated twisting as a very effective and efficient exercise for twisting
  4. maricyasana 1

Mobility in the adductors is required so that the bent leg can be placed on the floor and remain there after the pelvis is tilted sideways:

  1. baddha konasana
  2. warrior 2 pose
  3. parsvakonasana
  4. counter
  5. caturkonasana

Exorotation abilityis also needed in the bent leg position, preparations for this:

  1. baddha konasana
  2. supta baddha konasana
  3. Half lotus forward bend
  4. hip opener at the edge of the mat
  5. hip opener 3
  6. warrior 2 pose
  7. caturkonasana
  8. parsvakonasana
  9. counter

If there is too much tension in the muscles of the lumbar spine to go into lateral flexion, prepare with:

  1. parsva uttanasana
  2. virasana forward bend (child’s pose)
  3. parsva upavista konasana
  4. parsvottanasana
  5. Half lotus forward bend
  6. karnapidasana

Every now and then, the forearm muscles of the side arm are used to prepare for this pose. The side arm is the first to reach towards the outer foot of the outstretched leg. The wrist is in palmar flexion and the fingers are flexed, which can lead to a tendency to cramp. To reduce the tone of the muscles in advance, practise :

  1. Plantar forearm stretch
  2. Forearm stretch palmar in upavista konasana

If, unusually, the triceps of the arm that reaches overhead to the outside foot should set a greater restriction than the latissimus dorsi, this can also be prepared:

  1. upper half of gomukhasana, the desired effect relates to the upper arm

Since, in contrast to janu sirsasana, this is not a forward bend in the true sense of the word but a trunk side bend (which nevertheless requires a lot of stretching ability in the hamstrings of one leg), preparations are also useful here:

  1. seated trunk side bend
  2. parivrtta parsva upavista konasana, if this is easier

Follow-up

Sometimes the lower back is uncomfortably tense after the pose:

  1. parsva uttanasana
  2. balasana (virasana forward bend, child’s pose)
  3. parsva upavista konasana
  4. parivrtta trikonasana
  5. parsvottanasana
  6. Half lotus forward bend
  7. karnapidasana

derived asanas:

similar asanas:

Diagnostics (No.)

(231)(234)(501)(511) Shoulder :

The flexibility of the shoulder in the direction of frontal abduction can be recognized here, including side discrepancies, and there may be indications of diseases of the shoulder:

  1. Irritable hypertonus of the deltoid: ambitious beginners in yoga in particular tend to develop irritation in the deltoid, which is localized in the area of the muscle origins, presumably due to overstraining of the structures through frequent repetitive demands in full frontal abduction and is also noticeable under such stress, see FAQ.
  2. Various pathological changes in the shoulder joint such as impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, calcification of the biceps tendon, which cannot all be discussed here and require clarification.
  3. side discrepancies in flexibility

The flexibility of the shoulder is recognizable here in the form of the degree of evasion in the three dimensions of movement, only if flexibility in the hamstrings and lateral trunk flexion are not yet very successful:

  1. lateral deviation of the upper arms
  2. Loss of rotation of the arms
  3. Incorrect angle of frontal abduction that does not reach 180° or not permanently

(650) Scoliosis of the spine:

The lateral deviations of the spine from the sagittal plane known as scoliosis may become visible in this posture as side discrepancies in execution. See the FAQ.

(811) Quadriceps:

The main cause of the inability to bend the leg to be bent far is the extension moment in the knee joint, which results from the tension in the (especially monoarticular) quadriceps parts.

(721)(724) Ischiocrural group:

In the extended leg, great flexibility of the hamstrings is required so that the pelvis can tilt to the side; various disorders may be found in the muscles of the back of the leg:

  1. Shortening of the hamstrings, see FAQ.
  2. Damage to the hamstrings that causes pain or functional limitations can also be easily recognized here, from simple tension to strains to muscle (attachment/detachment/tear). Tears would lead to a reduction in strength when leaving the posture quickly.
  3. Irritation of the ischiadicus nerve: irritation of the ischiadicus nerve, which innervates the leg and foot, can become symptomatic during forward bends in particular, even if they are otherwise rather calm. See the FAQ.
  4. Irritation of the origin of the hamstrings at the ischial tuberosity (at the ischial tuberosities, also known as PHT: proximal hamstring tendinopathy) will be clearly evident in this posture and require protection from intensive stretching, as this posture demands; see the FAQ.
  5. Baker’s cysts create a feeling of tension or foreign body sensation, see FAQ.

(751)(752)(754) Adductors:

This posture stretches the adductors of the bent, side-lying leg. This allows any damage to be detected:

  1. Shortening
  2. Irritation of the tendons at the origins and insertions, which manifests itself in pulling pain with an elongated course. These are insertional tendinopathies, e.g. Gracilis syndrome
  3. Tension that causes an agonizing sensation in the muscles that goes far beyond normal stretching
  4. Tearing/partial tearing/tearing of adductor muscles, which, in the event of a tear, impress with a loud noise, possibly followed by hematoma formation and swelling and possibly greater flexibility in a lateral comparison
  5. side discrepancies in flexibility, which can cause pelvic obliquity and consecutive scoliosis, see the FAQ.

(704) Hip joint:

The two different leg positions relative to the pelvis can cause pain due to existing hip damage:

  1. Arthrotic change (degenerative with cartilage atrophy) of the joint
  2. Arthritis (joint inflammation) of various kinds
  3. Perthes‘ disease in children or hip dysplasia in general would probably react to this posture
  4. Dislocation / subluxation, which would cause a significantly increased sensation of tension in various muscles covering the hip joint
  5. joint trauma suffered, which may cause pain in the joint even after many weeks or months

(409)(408) Wrist:

Exerting force in extensive palmar flexion and under a certain load may reveal weaknesses in the wrists or the muscles covering them:

  1. Ganglion, usually in the dorsal area between the hand and forearm, produces pressure sensation during dorsal flexion of the wrist
  2. Tendinitis of the tendons of the palmar flexors or finger flexors
  3. Carpal tunnel syndrome: worsening of symptoms in this position
  4. Fractures and fractures of carpal bones, especially the scaphoid bone
  5. Arthritic changes (degenerative with cartilage atrophy) of the joint
  6. Arthritis (joint inflammation) of various kinds
  7. Dislocation / subluxation, which would cause a significantly increased sensation of tension in various muscles covering the hip joint
  8. Joint trauma, which may cause pain in the joint even after many weeks or months

but also muscular symptoms such as

  1. Shortening/hypertonus of the palmar flexion of the wrist, which then becomes noticeable in a cramp-like manner
  2. Golfer’s elbow: Strain pain at the point of origin of muscles on the ulnar side of the forearm in the transition to the upper arm.

(644) LUMBAR SPINE:

Problems of the lumbar spine or its muscles can become apparent in this posture, see FAQ.

(187) Neck muscles:

By holding the head in a roughly horizontal position with good flexibility, muscular weakness, hypertonus with a tendency to spasm and possibly other damage to the cervical spine can be detected.(501) Shortening of the latissimus dorsi:

Shortening of the latissimus dorsi, which also acts as an adductor, can be recognized more clearly here than in janu sirsasana and similarly well as in parivrtta parsva upavista konasana, as the arm, which should be stretched overhead to grasp the outer foot, is further in frontal abduction and a little in lateral abduction. The latissimus dorsi must be very flexible when gripping the front outer foot. If this is not the case, it will be noticeable as a significant stretch to the side of the shoulder blade. It is also possible that the arm will only rotate to a limited extent.

(511) Shortening of the pectoralis major

Similar but less pronounced than in latissimus dorsi, shortening of the pectoralis major, which also acts as an adductor, can be recognized better here than in janu sirsasana and similarly well as in parivrtta parsva upavista konasana, as the arm, which is stretched overhead to grasp the outer foot, is further in frontal abduction and a little in lateral abduction.

Variations:

with belt

with block between foot and thigh

(P) Turn torso

Instructions

  1. Sit in dandasana, bend the left leg as far as it will go. Bring the left knee back as far as possible (the limit for this lies in the lateral hip opening, i.e. the flexibility of the adductors). Depending on your flexibility, rotate the pelvis between 20 and 40° to the left, i.e. away from the right leg, and then bring the left leg back again before placing the bent leg on the floor.
  2. Turn your torso to the left and bend it down to the right.
  3. Reach the outer edge of the right foot or, if possible, the outer heel with the right hand. Extend the right arm to the maximum and bend the elbow as far as possible using the strength of your right arm biceps, causing the upper body to also move downwards; if possible, place the right elbow on the lower right leg. Bring this elbow on the floor as far to the left as possible.
  4. When you are in the maximum side bend, reach with your left arm overhead to the right heel or outer edge of the foot. Use the strength of both arms to stretch the upper body away from the pelvis towards the right foot and turn to the left, i.e. the chest away from the right leg. The right shoulder moves between the right lower leg and the right elbow towards the floor.

Details

  1. This exercise is a pronounced trunk side bend that requires or causes a lot of flexibility in the trunk. In many cases, it will not be possible to place the right elbow on the floor for a long time. In mobile people, there is a clear distance between the left foot and the right inner thigh; in immobile people, there is little or no distance at all. In any case, the distance should be maximum.
  2. Do not mix up forward bends and side bends, but separate these movements as strictly as possible; not every back can tolerate their combination.
  3. Janu sirsasana is a forward bend and this pose, parivrtta janu sirsasana, is a (hip-opening) side torso bend. The greater the angle between the legs, the clearer this comes out. The distance between the left foot and the right inner thigh and therefore the rotation of the pelvis away from the right leg is decisive for the character of the pose as a side torso bend. Depending on the flexibility and constitution of the back, lumbago-likecomplaints can occur if the pelvis is not turned away from the right leg, thus mixing forward bend and side bend. Turn the pelvis to the left as far as possible, pull the left buttock backwards and move the left foot backwards to the left as far as possible. Note: in janu sirsasana, the right buttock is pulled backwards, not the left buttock.
  4. This pose contains a stretch for the
    1. hamstrings (right side), so straighten the right leg and press the back of the thigh onto the floor. Stretch the heel away from the body
    2. Adductors of the left leg, therefore press the left knee to the floor
  5. With the neck stretched (i.e. in extension of the thoracic spine), turn the head upwards around its longitudinal axis. With very good flexibility, the back of the head can be placed on the lower leg, which usually requires a slight, harmless reclination of the head.
  6. If the left knee shows discomfort in the medial meniscus area, regardless of whether it is lying on the floor or not, support it with a block/mat or try one of the other tricks in the FAQ.
  7. Move the right shoulder between the right elbow and the inside knee towards the floor as far as possible.
  8. Using the strength of the arms, pull the upper body into extension, especially the compressed right side.
  9. The movement of the right elbow to the lower left promotes the rotation of the upper body to the left. If it is difficult to move the elbow to the left, initially support this movement with the left hand.
  10. The elbow of the upper left arm should bend to the maximum and move in the direction of the right foot.
  11. Depending on the constitution of the back, it is advisable not to leave the posture using the strength of the core muscles alone, but to support coming out with the right arm, i.e. to push the upper body upwards.
  12. In this pose, the right knee joint tends to bend and the right leg tends to turn out. Move the right inner knee in particular down towards the floor.
  13. If you have enough flexibility to reach with your left hand towards the right outer foot, ideally towards the outer heel, then reach over your right hand and use the strength of both arms to pull your upper body towards your right foot.
  14. As in similar poses, the right leg should be fully extended, but it is neither necessary nor desirable to overstretch with the heel lifted off the floor.
  15. Do not pull the left knee too strongly towards the floor with the left pomus muscles, as this can cause them to become tense in the long term.

Variations

With a belt

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above, but place a belt around the foot of the stretched leg to pull on it with the upper arm.

Details

  1. This variation allows at least an indirect pull on the foot to bring the upper body further into the posture beyond the effect of gravity. The upper arm can be bent in order to exert traction with the belt, but it should not lose its rotation.

with a block between the foot and thigh

Instructions

  1. Depending on your physique and flexibility, the foot of the bent leg may repeatedly slide towards the opposite inner thigh. This variation keeps the distance to a defined minimum and thus ensures that the character of the trunk side bend is maintained.

Details

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(P) Turn the trunc

Instruction

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Details

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