Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose anatomy

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose · Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana · Tư thế đầu chạm gối vặn mình

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose mainly works quadriceps (right), external oblique (right), internal oblique (left), multifidus (right); it stretches hamstrings (right), adductors, gastrocnemius (right), quadratus lumborum (left); erector spinae stabilize.

3D anatomy model of Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose: working muscles in red, stretching in blue, stabilizing in yellow

Opening the 3D model…

Sit with one leg extended out to the side in a wide angle, heel on the floor and toes pointing up; bend the other knee and draw the heel in toward the groin. Side-bend toward the straight leg, setting the bottom shoulder and the back of that upper arm inside the straight leg, and hold the inner edge of the foot with that hand. Turn the chest up to the ceiling and reach the top arm over the head to hold the outer edge of the straight-leg foot. The top side of the waist lengthens from hip to armpit; the hamstrings of the straight leg and the inner thighs lengthen while the obliques turn the chest open toward the ceiling.

Muscles in this pose

Working (contracting): Quadriceps (right), External oblique (right), Internal oblique (left), Multifidus (right), Deltoid (left), Biceps brachii (left), Rhomboid major (left)

Stretching: Hamstrings (right), Adductors, Gastrocnemius (right), Quadratus lumborum (left), Latissimus dorsi (left), External oblique (left), Internal oblique (right), Pectoralis major (left)

Stabilizing: Erector spinae

Why these muscles work or stretch

Quadriceps · Working (contracting): Straightens the extended knee
External oblique · Working (contracting): The right external oblique and left internal oblique turn the chest up to the ceiling, i.e. a twist to the left
Multifidus · Working (contracting): Multifidus rotates the vertebrae toward the opposite side
Deltoid · Working (contracting): Raises the top arm overhead
Biceps brachii · Working (contracting): Bends the top elbow and pulls gently on the foot to open the chest
Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the top shoulder back
Hamstrings · Stretching: Straight leg: the back of the thigh lengthens
Adductors · Stretching: The straight leg opens wide to the side
Quadratus lumborum · Stretching: The top side of the waist lengthens from hip to armpit
Latissimus dorsi · Stretching: The top arm reaches overhead, lengthening the top side further
Pectoralis major · Stretching: The chest opens toward the ceiling
Erector spinae · Stabilizing: Keeps the spine long, without rounding in the side bend

Practice cues

Ground both sitting bones, especially the one on the bent-leg side
Bend sideways rather than folding forward; keep the chest turning up
If you can't reach the foot, rest the bottom forearm on the thigh or use a strap; soften the straight knee as needed

Benefits

Stretches the side body from hip to armpit, especially the lats and quadratus lumborum
Lengthens the hamstrings and inner thigh of the straight leg
Improves side-bending and rotation of the spine and opens the chest
May help breathing into the side ribs feel deeper and easier

Cautions / contraindications

Use caution with a hamstring or groin strain; soften the straight knee
Go gently with low-back pain or a disc herniation; bend less, don't fold forward
Use caution with pain in the top shoulder; keep that hand on the hip or use a strap

Easier variations

Sit on a folded blanket and rest the bottom forearm on the thigh instead of the foot
Loop a strap around the straight-leg foot for the top hand; soften that knee

General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.

Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 18/10/2026

How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)

Related poses

Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Bend Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana
Extended Triangle Pose Utthita Trikonasana
Marichi’s Pose III (Seated Twist) Marichyasana III
Revolved Triangle Pose Parivrtta Trikonasana
Seated Easy Twist Parivrtta Sukhasana
Revolved Half Moon Pose Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana

A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)