The Low Lunge Pose, or Anjaneyasana, is excellent for opening the chest and stretching out the thighs and groins. It often appears in the Sun Salutation sequence of poses.
(Pronounced as "uhn-jah-nay-AHS-anna")
The name of this pose describes the deity Hanuman as the son of Anjani, who was his mother. You will find that practicing this lunge will help you prepare for Hanumanasana as well.
Get into Downward-Facing Dog Pose, or Adho Mukha Svanasana. Take a breath. On your exhalation, bring your right foot forward in between your hands on the floor. Your knee should stay directly above your heel, so adjust your left leg back to get your right leg into the correct position. Now bend your left knee and let it rest on the mat. Let the top of your left foot rest on the mat as well.
On an inhalation, raise both arms up to the ceiling and use that momentum to lift your torso and chest up as well. Hold both arms up straight, perpendicular to the ground. Let your tailbone point down to the mat.
Stretch your head back and look at your hands without crunching up the back of your neck. Stay here for up to a minute with normal breathing. To come out, move your right foot back on an exhalation to return to Adho Mukha Svanasana. Now step forward the same way with your left foot and repeat the steps, holding the pose for the same duration.
Anjaneyasana
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