Twisted head to knee pose- Parivritti Janu Sirshasana

Twisted head to knee pose is a very deep and intense asana and there is a beautiful journey of getting into this pose. It requires consistency of practice and patience with yourself. Please do not push yourself into this pose, but instead be gentle with yourself and trust the process. With time and practice, you can sink in deeper. 

1. Start in seated position and open the legs about 1m apart from one another, just enough so you don’t cause any strain to your inner thighs.
2. Gently bend the left foot and bring it to the middle, in the pelvic area.
3. Extend the other leg all the way out to the side
4. Take the thumb, index and second fingers from the same hand with the extended leg and put circle them around the toe.
5. Bring the arms as close as possible to the extended leg and with the next inhale, lift the opposite arm about half way and exhale, slightly taking it back to open the chest area.
6. Then bring this arm all the way to the extended leg’s foot and bring your head down towards the extended leg. If you cannot reach this foot you can just extend the arm to where it goes or use a strap to help you connect the two.
7. Keep the correct alignment, your torso should be vertical to the body.
8. With every inhale, elongate the spine and as you exhale, gently twist and look towards the ceiling.
9. Hold this pose for a few breaths (with time, you can hold longer, but always listen to your body, never adding strain or pressure to the lower back, especially in twists)
10. Gently inhale and bring the top arm to the mat and then lift your torso all the way up, releasing the extended leg.
11. Repeat the same movement with the opposite leg.

 
Physical benefits:
deep release from the lower back and the hips
increases flexibility in the spine  
stretches the hamstrings and the legs
opens the chest creating space to take more oxygen in with each inhale
increases blood circulation into the arms, shoulders and head
provides a great lateral stretch of the torso
massages the digestive organs
 
Mental and emotional benefits:
relieves nervous tension
releases emotional blockages
balances out the NS
releases fatigue
relieves symptoms of anxiety
 
Contraindications: (consult this pose with your general medical practitioner if you have the following)
Lower back injury or discomfort (for this you can just extend the leg and lift the arms up)
High blood pressure  (for this, do not bring the head all the way down, just keep head up and straight)
Shoulder injury or discomfort