We know it's not the crowd favorite, but this posture is a core element to the Bikram Yoga series. And as we enter a new year, we need to make sure it gets the attention it deserves right from the start! Standing Head to Knee is the first of the balancing postures that takes place after the warm-up, and also the first posture of the cardiovascular portion of the series (as you know, balancing is hard work!). This posture is completed in 4 parts as shown in the photo. In Part 1, you inhale sucking your stomach in tight, round over, and grab your foot 3 inches below the toes. Weight should be even on the standing leg, never sitting back into the hip, with the standing knee locked solid. Your foot should be directly below the knee, held up with your 10 fingers interlaced in a tight grip. In Part 2, you maintain everything you have, and simply extend the lower leg so that you are kicking toward the mirror, leg exactly parallel to the floor. Your kicking leg heel should be closest to the mirror, initiating a stretch for the hamstrings and Achilles tendon. Make sure to maintain the 10 finger interlocked grip--it's very easy to let those fingers slide apart. In Part 3, you continue to maintain everything you have, and only bend the elbows directly downward until they touch and go below your kicking leg calf muscle. You'll feel a great stretch in the shoulders and spine when you do this. And finally in Part 4, just your head drops down to touch the knee of the kicking leg, making sure nothing else moves. Of course, it sounds easier than it is, and it may take a while to master all 4 parts of this posture. But even at Step 1, you're still gaining all the medical benefits! This posture greatly increases the strength in the leg muscles and gluteals, as well as the biceps and triceps (this is an instance where you are "weight-lifting" using a free weight--that of your own body parts!). Standing Head to Knee also stretches the muscles of the entire spine, which feels extra good after the half moon you did at the start of class! The constant sucking of your stomach in during this posture also helps flush out the abdominal organs, keeping them functioning properly. So the next time you take class and are dreading this posture, know that your hard work results in the best for your body!