One Leg Behind the Head · Eka Pada Sirsasana

Eka Pada Sirsasana · 에카파다 시르사사나 · 한 다리 머리 뒤로

Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Leg-Behind-Head & Arm Balances

Breath: 5 · Drishti (gaze): toes

Lift one leg deep behind the shoulder — onto shoulder and upper back, never the neck — then sit tall with palms joined before folding forward. The chest lifting against the leg's push is the work; the hip's external rotation opens to its extreme.

Alignment

Hands — palms joined at the chest, meeting the pressure of the hooked leg
Feet — the foot behind the neck pointed; the extended foot flexed
Knees — the long leg straight so the pelvis doesn't curl under
Gaze — the nose tip, the back muscles (not the neck) carrying the leg

Entering the pose

Cradle the leg to warm the hip
Work the shoulder deep inside the knee
Set the leg on the shoulder and upper back, not the neck

Common mistakes

Straining the neck against the leg
Cranking the knee with a closed hip

Modifications & props

Leg to the shoulder only — months spent at the stage of hooking it on the shoulder, not behind the head, is the normal tempo.
The reclined drill — lying down, drawing the leg toward the head and behind the shoulder — builds the same opening without loading the neck.
The neck must press back into the leg as the leg presses in; shrinking the neck away is how this pose injures it.

Benefits

External hip rotation at its extreme range
Hamstrings and back lengthen together
Teaches holding with the hip, never the neck

Role in the sequence

The pose where Intermediate's late theme — leg behind head — formally begins. The hip range foreshadowed by Primary's Kurmasana is here actually demanded, followed by a run of standing, folding, and balancing with the leg hooked. Since the one-leg skill extends directly into Dwi Pada (both legs) next, this pose's quality sets the ceiling for the entire second half.

Practice notes

Eka pada means one leg and sirsa means head: one leg behind the head. This begins the stretch of the Intermediate Series that opens the hips the most, and it is a gate — once it works, Dwi Pada and Yoganidrasana follow; while it does not, all three wait together.

The power to place a leg behind the neck comes from the hip, not from the neck. Before pushing the foot back with the hands, the shin should already be lifted to shoulder height. Hooking the leg from lower than that, by bowing the head forward to meet it, loads the cervical spine with rotation and compression at once.

The safe preparation is sitting and cradling the leg like a baby, rocking it side to side. Repeating that for a few months teaches the hip the order in which it opens. Once the leg is placed, sit tall with the palms together at the chest for five breaths, then fold forward for five more.

Two checks: is the weight of the leg bending the neck forward (the chest should lift so the neck stays upright), and is the other leg straight with its kneecap facing the ceiling? Any tingling in the neck means take the leg down at once.

Practice to shoulder height only; the neck must not carry the leg.

Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: 2026-09-05.

This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, injured, or have a medical condition, consult a qualified teacher or physician before practising. Disclaimer & Legal Notice

Other poses in this sequence

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