Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

Selected aSelected asanas̄̄sanas Selected aSelected āsanas̄sanas

•    Put    a   belt    around  the back    of  your    pelvis, the 

groin, and the feet (Figure 7.71).

•    For    setting up  Supta   Baddha  Ko āsana, the

supine position with the Baddha Koāsana

legs, see Supta Sukhāsana (variation of

Sukhāsana).

20. Jānu Śr āsana (Figure 7.75)

Meaning of the āsana and its name

Jānu means knee, and śra head. One knee is straight,

the other one is bent: the head is approaching the

straight knee or lying on the shin. This posture

particularly develops mobility and teaches relax-

ation while stretching intensively. It is an asymmet-

rical posture, and teaches you to find the center in

an asymmetrical position.

Getting into the posture

1. Sit with both legs straight.


2. Move your right foot towards the buttock
   as long as you can bend your right knee
   comfortably.


3. Lower your right knee to the floor and move it
   backwards as much as possible.


4. Stretch your trunk and your arms upwards, the
   palms facing each other (Figure 7.73).


5. Keep your trunk lifted from your hips; tilt your
   pelvis forwards; lower your arms; place your
   fingertips on the floor behind the hips; the fingertips
   give the impulse to lift your trunk (Figure 7.74).


6. Keep your left and right leg on the floor, the
   left foot perpendicular; turn your pelvis and
   abdomen towards the left leg and place the
   fingertips of both hands on the floor left of the
   left thigh.


7. Further turning and tilting your pelvis forwards
   and with your left hip moving backwards, walk
   your fingers forwards along the left side.


8. Bring the center of your trunk in line with the
   left leg.


9. Hold your left foot with both hands (Figure 7.75).

Figure 7.73

Figure 7.74