BE KIND, BE GENTLE, BE GOOD TO YOUR BODY WITH THIS YOGA POSE OF THE WEEK:
Low Lunge – Anjaneyasana:
Sanskrit Name
(ahn-jah-nay-aah-suh-nuh)
Anjani: Hanuman’s mother (Hindu Legend)
eya: son of
Asana: pose
Anjaneyasana “the son of Anjani pose” is typically translated to Crescent Lunge/ Low Lunge Pose.
This kneeling asana provides a powerful stretch to the groin, quads and iliopsoas of the back leg. The front leg grounds down, finding strength and stability.
Benefits:
- Strengthens & tones legs and glutes
- Improves balance and flexibility
- Stretches hip flexors of back leg and releases psoas
- Expands chest, collarbones and lungs
- Strengthens core muscles, front and back
- Lifting of the arms elongates the body and helps builds strength in shoulders, arms and back
Step-by-Step Instructions
- From Table top or Downward Facing dog pose, step right foot forward between your hands, align right knee over the heel and ground down through the sole of the foot
- Lower left knee down to the mat underneath the hip or slide it back until you feel a comfortable stretch in the front of the thigh and groin
- Uncurl your toes, lowering the top of the left foot to the floor
- Inhale, lift your torso up to stack shoulders over hips, align pelvis forward, slight tuck of tailbone and lift lower belly, pubic bone towards your navel
- Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side
Optional arm variation/backbend:
Lift hands forward and up, extending arms, shoulders in line with hips, elongating side body, palms facing each other, pinkies forward.
To create backbend, lift through the sternum, lengthen through the spine, extend the fingertips behind you, biceps towards ears, take your head back and look up, be care not to jam the back of your neck.
Modifications:
- Use blocks to frame front foot
- Use blanket under back knee
Anjaneyasana is traditionally used in Sun Salutations, through transitions from one side of the body to the other and performed on its own to create stability, strength and balance. Find which variation feels best for you, explore and be good to your body with low lunge.
Namaste
