Yoga Pose:
Anjaneyasana
Important Note
Take special precautions while doing any asana. If you are learning yoga, then take the advice of a knowledgeable person. Do not put any kind of force in the event of pain or unable to do so. Keep in mind that you will be able to succeed only with constant practice.
Brief Introduction Of The Anjaneyasana
Anjaneyasana or the Low Lunge Pose is the pose of beginners in Yoga. This specific posture helps stretch the entire body. This pose gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Anjaneya’, which literally means “Son of Anjani” and refers to God Hanuman, the trusted aide of Lord Rama in the Hindu epic ‘Ramayana’ who helped him get Mata Sita back from Lanka, the empire of the evil monarch Ravana. This low lunge pose is named so due to the shape taken by the body while performing it.
How To Do The Anjaneyasana?
- Begin the preparation for this pose by entering the Downward-Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana posture. Once you are in this pose fully, exhale. Keep the right foot ahead of you, by the side of the right hand.
- Make sure that your ankle and the right knee are in a parallel line.
- Lower your left knee down gradually. Put it on the floor or ground, exactly behind your hips.
- Take a breath and lift your torso. Once that is done, lift the arms over the head in such a way that your biceps graze your ears. Join the palms together to make the gesture of Namaskar, or the Indian way of salutation that is gaining much acceptance in a world struck by Covid 19.
- Breathe out. Allow your hips to slacken and forward. You have to experience a good stretch in the frontal part of the leg, and thus, feel it also in the hip flexors.
- Keep the coccyx (tailbone) to the floor. Stretch the lower back areas, as you experience interaction with the spine.
- Stretch the arms to your back, so as to push your head up. As you push deeper and deeper into this pose, look towards the back.
- Stay in this posture for around 15 – 30 seconds. You can also try to make a full Crescent posture by lifting the back leg knee up, and off the surface of the floor.
- To release from this pose, keep back the hands to the floor and enter the pose of the Adho Mukha Svanasana. Use your alternate leg to repeat the same steps.
- To be able to practice this pose, you should have a nice sense of balance, and have flexibility in your legs, groin and hips. Although this pose appears to be easy, it can be quite challenging to perform actually. But the benefits that you enjoy from the regular practice of this posture make the effort worthwhile.
- You can try the Virabhadrasana pose as a follow-up to this asana. For preparatory poses, other than Adho Mukha Svanasana, you can perform Prasarita Padottanasana, Virasana, Supta Virasana and Utkatasana.
- There are some variations of this pose. One of these helps open up the chest. Try to get your arms behind your body, as if you are trying to point your arm down to your back foot diagonally or clasp your hands behind the back.
- There is another variation, where you have to put the hands over the lower back and keep the fingers pointing to your waist area.
- Want to make it more challenging? Try to close the eyes while assuming this posture, when you are fully confident about it. You can improve your balance in this way.
Benefits Of The Anjaneyasana
- Performing this pose can provide your hips, quadriceps, groin and hamstrings with a nice stretch. In the lower part of your body, you can experience a full range of motion.
- The pose is extremely beneficial for runners, cyclists and even all those people who have to sit all day and perform desk jobs. This asana is known to cure soreness in the lower body.
- Anjaneyasana is a great exercise for people who are easily affected by cold weather, and find it very difficult to stay healthy during winter. It helps in the buildup of heat within the body.
- This Yoga posture helps open up the lungs, heart and chest. As the lungs are opened up, all the mucus is expelled. The lungs can get a perfect cleansing due to this reason.
- It improves the strength of the quadriceps and the gluteus muscles. The hip flexors and hips can get a nice stretch.
- Regular practice of this posture is able to tone your body, and give you more energy. It can build core awareness, and make you able to concentrate more.
- There are many other benefits of this asana. It can improve your balance, alleviate the problem of sciatica, stimulate the reproductive and digestive organs and open up your chest, lungs and shoulders.
Precautions To Be Taken While Doing The Anjaneyasana
- You need to avoid the practice of this pose if you suffer from knee injuries or high blood pressure. Likewise, people who suffer from heart problems should avoid this pose as well.
- While you practice this pose, make sure that the front knee is over the shoulder directly.
- In case you suffer from shoulder problems, it is essential for you to avoid lifting your arms over the head. Instead, you can put the hands on the thighs.
- Do you suffer from a neck problem? Avoid looking behind. It is better to gaze ahead instead.
Conclusion
- Anjaneyasana has immense benefits for the mind and the body. Regularly practicing this pose can calm down your mind and tone your body as well. You can feel rejuvenated and highly energetic even after you have performed an intense session of this exercise. It is important to perform this specific pose on an empty stomach, as the case is with many other Yoga poses. You need to practice this pose at least 4 – 6 hours after having your last meal. You should also empty your bowels before performing this pose.
- It is preferable that you practice this pose, as well as other Yoga poses and exercises, in the early morning. However, if you have too much work to do in the morning and find no time for working out, you may do it also in the evening. Keep in mind that there should be a decent gap between your practice and meals.
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