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August 2014

Half Tortoise: Did You Know?

By News
Half Tortoise Pose Benefits Bikram Yoga

Touching your forehead to the floor is an important step in Half Tortoise pose.

There’s a reason we tell you to touch your forehead to your knee, or to the floor!

The pineal gland, also known as “the third eye,” is a small endocrine gland in the brain. It produces melatonin, which affects both sleep patterns and circadian rhythms.

As we age, the pineal starts to develop calcium deposits, which isn’t necessarily a good thing!

Touching your forehead to your knee or the floor can help to stimulate the pineal gland.

Now I’m not sure that doing Half Tortoise is the equivalent of eight hours of sleep, but it just might help balance your sleep/wake cycles and stimulate the release of melatonin!

So do your yoga—touch your forehead!