In short: revolved head-to-knee pose is a seated side bend with a twist. You sit with one leg straight and the other bent out to the side, lean sideways over the straight leg, and turn the chest up toward the ceiling with the top arm reaching overhead. Despite the name, it is mainly a long stretch of the side body, not a forward fold.
It is taught in Iyengar, hatha and vinyasa classes, usually after standing poses and simpler seated folds have warmed the hamstrings and the sides of the body. Many people find it one of the most satisfying stretches of a class. Below we explain the name, the cues behind the steps, the precautions and where it fits.
What the name means, and why it is a side bend
The Sanskrit name is Parivṛtta Jānu Śīrṣāsana (usually written Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana): parivṛtta means turned or revolved, and jānu śīrṣāsana is head-to-knee pose. The legs are set up the same way as in head-to-knee pose, but instead of folding forward over the straight leg you face away from it, bend the trunk sideways along it and rotate the chest open. Senior Iyengar teacher Marla Apt describes it as a seated side bend and twist; Yoga Journal’s pose page calls it a seated fold with a side bend and twist. So if a teacher asks you to bring your “head to the knee” here, they mean the side of the head and the shoulder moving toward the inner knee of the straight leg.
Making the pose work
Set the bent leg first. In this pose the bent knee is drawn further back than in head-to-knee pose, widening the angle between the legs, and it presses toward the floor to counterbalance the weight of the torso leaning the other way. Then turn the chest to face away from the straight leg before you lean: the twist comes first, the side bend second. As you lean, slide the lower shoulder along the inside of the straight knee and rest the forearm or elbow on the floor or a block inside the leg. The top arm reaches over the ear.
The common problem is that the lower side of the waist collapses while the upper side overstretches. Marla Apt’s cue is to keep lengthening the side closest to the floor so both sides of the trunk become more even, and to keep the hips firm so the turn starts low in the torso rather than only in the shoulders. Yoga Journal’s beginner tip is to keep the bottom shoulder in contact with the inner knee, even if that means bending the straight leg a little. Hold for about ten breaths to a minute, then repeat on the other side.
Precautions in plain words
The hamstrings of the straight leg are vulnerable near the sitting bone. Yoga Journal advises keeping the front of the thigh engaged and never pulling the body down before the hamstrings have released. Bend the straight knee if you feel pulling at the sitting bone or behind the knee. With a back, neck or shoulder injury, keep the lean small and the top hand on the hip, and ask your doctor or physiotherapist if you are unsure. With an inner-knee problem in the bent leg, support it or keep the leg straight. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and what comes next
Good preparation includes extended side angle pose, which lengthens the same side of the body standing up, seated wide-angle forward bend, bound angle pose and reclining hand-to-big-toe pose. Afterwards, a simple fold such as seated forward bend or child’s pose evens out the spine. If you cannot sit on the floor, a chair version gives a similar side stretch.
You will meet revolved head-to-knee pose in Iyengar, hatha and vinyasa classes. Slow breathing into the stretched side of the ribs, as in diaphragmatic breathing, helps you stay without strain.
