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Eka Pada Sirsasana

One Leg Behind the Head Pose

eka = one, pada = foot, sirsa = head

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

A seated posture with one leg placed behind the head.

Family
Seated
Level
advanced
Lineage
modern
Works on
hips · hamstrings · spine

The yogic view

Taught in the twentieth-century Mysore tradition and its intermediate sequences; not a posture named in the classical texts.

How to practise

  1. Sit tall and draw the right knee towards the chest.
  2. Rock the right shin gently side to side to open the hip.
  3. Walk the right foot up the outside of the right arm towards the shoulder.
  4. Lift the chest, then slide the foot behind the neck — not the head onto the foot.
  5. Press the hands together in front of the chest and sit tall.
  6. Hold three to five breaths, exit slowly, and change sides.

For seated or floor-based work, use a clean, stable surface. Our natural cork yoga mat offers a grounded 5 mm surface for regular practice.

What research shows

The shape depends almost entirely on hip external rotation and flexion, not on hamstring length, and forcing it with the hands is how hamstring attachments and sacroiliac joints get injured. The leg should be walked into place over weeks of preparation, and the spine must stay upright — if the back rounds to get the foot behind the head, the hip is not ready. Numbness or nerve sensation down the leg means stop, not push.

Questions about Eka Pada Sirsasana

+ How long should you hold Eka Pada Sirsasana?
Five to ten slow breaths — about thirty to sixty seconds — works well for most practitioners, and one to two minutes if you are working specifically on range. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.
+ Is Eka Pada Sirsasana suitable for beginners?
No — Eka Pada Sirsasana is an advanced seated posture. It asks for strength, range and control that take a long time to build, and it is much better learned with in-person guidance than from a page. Work through the preparatory postures listed below first, and treat the full shape as a long-term project rather than a goal for this month.
+ What are the modifications for Eka Pada Sirsasana?
Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.
+ Who should avoid or modify Eka Pada Sirsasana?
For Eka Pada Sirsasana specifically: hip injury; hamstring injury; neck injury. More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
+ What should you practise before and after Eka Pada Sirsasana?
Prepare with Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose), Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose). Release afterwards with Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), Shavasana (Corpse Pose). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.
+ What does Eka Pada Sirsasana mean in Sanskrit?
Eka Pada Sirsasana translates as one leg behind the head pose — eka = one, pada = foot, sirsa = head The name follows Sanskrit convention, but the posture itself is modern and is not described in the classical texts.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

  • hip injury
  • hamstring injury
  • neck injury

More seated

Keep reading

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.