Pose library · Janu Sirsasana
Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Janu means knee, sirsa means head and asana means posture. The name describes the deepest version, with the head resting toward the knee of the straight leg, but the work is a long fold over one leg.
Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) is a seated fold over one straight leg that stretches its hamstrings. Sit on a blanket, place one sole against the opposite inner thigh, turn the chest over the straight leg and fold from the hips for five to eight breaths. Never pull the head down, and support a hovering bent knee.
Pronunciation and meaning
Janu Sirsasana: JAH-noo sheer-SHAHS-uh-nuh. Janu stresses the first syllable, and Sirsasana stresses SHAHS.
Janu means knee, sirsa means head and asana means posture. The name describes the deepest version, with the head resting toward the knee of the straight leg, but the work is a long fold over one leg.
How to do Head to Knee Pose
- Sit in Staff Pose on the front edge of a folded blanket, both legs long in front of you.
- Bend your right knee and place the sole of the right foot against the inner left thigh. Let the right knee drop out to the side; if it hovers, slide a cushion or block under it.
- Turn your chest slightly so your breastbone lines up over the left leg. Loop a strap around the left foot, or rest the hands on the shin.
- Inhale and lengthen the spine. Exhale and fold forward from the hips over the left leg, keeping the left knee soft and the left foot gently flexed.
- Stay for five to eight slow breaths, lengthening on each inhale and folding a little on each exhale, without pulling the head down.
- Inhale to sit up, straighten the right leg and repeat with the left knee bent.
Head to Knee Pose step by step
Drawings and video by YogaPhilippines.com, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit and a link: see the image licence for how to credit.
For other poses that work the hamstrings, open the pose finder set to the hamstrings.
Make it easier
- Sit higher on a blanket or block so the pelvis can tip forward instead of the lower back rounding.
- Bend the knee of the straight leg and rest a rolled blanket under it.
- Rest the forehead on a bolster or block placed on the straight leg.
Pregnancy and after birth
Pregnancy. Adapt. Move the bent knee wider so there is room for the belly, sit up on a blanket and fold only a little, with the chest lifted. Check with your OB or midwife.
After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife has cleared you, keep the fold shallow and sit on a blanket. Ease off if it presses on a caesarean scar.
Expecting? Joahnna Lee Yoga has notes on adapting each trimester.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the head toward the knee and rounding the upper back, so the stretch moves away from the hamstrings.
- Forcing the bent knee to the floor. If it does not reach, support it from below.
Head to Knee Pose is a seated fold over one leg. It usually comes after the standing poses, once the legs are warm, and it often sits right beside Seated Forward Bend, Paschimottanasana in the quieter end of a class.
Because only one leg is straight, it asks less of the backs of the legs than a two-legged fold. The bent leg also opens the hip on that side, a little like half of Butterfly. It begins from Staff Pose, the upright seat with straight legs, so sit tall there first.
Who is head to knee pose for?
It suits most bodies, including beginners and people with tight hamstrings, as long as there is height under the hips. A folded blanket is often the difference between a long spine and a rounded one. It also appears among the seated yoga poses you can do on a cushion, and the seven hamstring stretches give gentler options for days off the mat.
What comes after it?
Once the fold feels calm, the side-bending version is Revolved Head to Knee Pose, Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana. Stop if you feel pain in the bent knee or a pull behind the knee of the straight leg.
Prep poses for Head to Knee Pose
Poses that warm up the same body areas at a lower intensity, so Head to Knee Pose feels steadier when you get there.
- Staff Pose (Dandasana) a direct preparation, beginner
Where to go next after Head to Knee Pose
These poses list Head to Knee Pose as a preparation, so they are a natural next step once it feels comfortable.
- Revolved Head to Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) intermediate
- Compass Pose (Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana) advanced
Easier and harder variations of Head to Knee Pose
Related poses from the same family that start from the same position and do a similar kind of work; Head to Knee Pose itself is beginner plus.
- Easier: Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana) beginner
Props that help in Head to Knee Pose
- Strap: extends the arms when the hands do not reach the feet or each other yet.
- Blanket: lifts the hips a little so the spine can stay tall.
- Block: sits under the hips or supports a hand or knee that does not reach the floor.
- Bolster: supports the body so you can stay longer with less effort.
Programs and sessions that use Head to Knee Pose
- The 14-day flexibility plan 1 of its 14 sessions
- Practice app sessions: evening wind-down
This page is one of the sources behind the sit-and-reach flexibility test.
Sources: Mayo Clinic, Fitness program: 5 steps to get started; NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health), Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety; NHS, Knee pain. Last reviewed 2 October 2026.
Head to Knee Pose questions
Does your head have to touch your knee in Janu Sirsasana?
No. The name describes the end of the range, which few people reach. A long spine and an easy breath matter far more. Rest the forehead on a block or bolster if you want the head supported.
Where should the bent foot go in head to knee pose?
The sole rests against the inner thigh of the straight leg, as high as is comfortable. If the knee strains, slide the foot lower toward the calf or sit higher. The bent knee should never twist or hurt.
Is head to knee pose easier than Seated Forward Bend?
For many people, yes. Folding over one leg at a time asks less of the hamstrings and the lower back. It is a useful step on the way to folding over both legs.
What are the benefits of Head to Knee Pose?
Head to Knee Pose stretches the hamstrings of the straight leg and opens the hip of the bent leg, a little like half of Butterfly. Because it works one leg at a time, it asks less of the backs of the legs than a two-legged fold, so it suits the quieter end of a class.
What is the difference between Janu Sirsasana and Paschimottanasana?
Janu Sirsasana folds over one straight leg while the other knee bends out to the side with the sole against the inner thigh. Paschimottanasana, Seated Forward Bend, folds over both straight legs. Working one leg at a time asks less of the hamstrings and lower back, so Head to Knee is often a step toward the two-legged fold.
Who should not do Head to Knee Pose?
Check with your doctor or physio first if you have a knee, hip, hamstring or lower back injury. Stop if you feel pain in the bent knee or a pull behind the knee of the straight leg, and never force the bent knee to the floor. Sitting higher on a blanket and bending the straight leg makes it gentler.
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