YanvaYoga > Yoga Poses > Knee-To-Ear Pose

Knee-To-Ear Pose - Karnapidasana

Knee-To-Ear Pose - YanvaYoga

Contents

Knee-To Ear-Pose or Karnapidasana (kar-nah-pee-DAH-sana) consists of three Sanskrit words: “Karna” — meaning “ear”, “Pida” — meaning “pressure”, and “Asana” — meaning “pose” or “posture”. This is one of the most important intermediate yoga poses that belongs to the forward bends categories with a lot of health benefits.

Karnapidasana is focusing on the shoulders and spine and also involves calves and glutes & hip flexors and hamstrings muscles and stretches and strengthens legs; rejuvenates abdominal organs and also reduces fatigue, increases energy, and provides a calming effect.

Karnapidasana is an extension of “plow pose” or Halasana.

Knee-To-Ear Pose Basics

  • Sanskrit: Karnapidasana
  • Other Names: The King Of Plow Pose
  • Targets: Focus, stretch for back of body from neck to knee

Pose Detail

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Begin in Plow Pose with the shoulders tucked under. Your hands can be flat on the floor or interlaced behind your back.
Step 2
Bend your knees and bring them to the floor on either side of your head.
Step 3
Rest the tops of your feet on the floor.
Step 4
Allow the knees to apply light pressure to the ears, momentarily cutting off aural distractions.
Step 5
Take at least five breaths before releasing your arms and slowly rolling out of the pose vertebra by vertebra.

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

Stretches and strengthens back, shoulders, hip and gluteal muscles

Improves Body Posture

Toning of the thighs and buttocks

Stimulates abdominal organs

Contraindications

Herniated disc conditions and recent surgery

Neck or spine injury

Sciatica

Asthma

High blood pressure

Pregnancy

Menstruation

Migraine

Weak digestion

Modifications, Props and Tips

While performing Karnapidasana if your knees don’t come easily to the ground keep them up until they come to the ground automatically or use blocks.

You will always feel pressure on your neck and you should not move your neck and head to avoid any kind of injury.

There is a light weight in the neck in this pose, so it is recommended to not move your head frequently.

You can also try to perform this asana through a different way, by doing Wheel Pose (Chakrasana).

Variations

Top Preparatory Pose

Top Follow-Up Pose

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Iana Varshavska
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A digital marketer in love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. In 2021, her huge passion for yoga led her to yoga teacher trainings. After successfully completing her studies, Iana received her Yoga Alliance U.S. certification, left the corporate IT world and devoted herself to the development of Yanva. To be able to create the best online yoga space for yoga enthusiasts like her, Iana is constantly learning and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, anatomy and biomechanics. Since 2021, she has continued to attend various types of teacher training, including yoga therapy, gives online and offline classes, and conducts local workshops for people who want to learn more about yoga. At the moment, Iana continues to work on her personal practice, improving her hand balancing skills, as well as developing her own training programs.