Yoga posture – Hanumanasana

Yoga posture – Hanumanasana
English Name : Monkey pose
Step by Step Instructions :
1. Standing in a prayer pose
Let your feet come apart a little, till your torso does not rest on your thighs. You can keep your feet either flat on the floor or keep your toes tucked under.
Gently bring your palms together in front of your heart and keep your elbows pressed against each other. you can concentrate on a single point in front of you.
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2. Backward bend
Raise both hands along your body and over your head.
reach your pelvis forwards and your ribcage back and up. As you push your pelvis forwards you can imagine (or feel as if) you are pulling your feet back, using the floor for traction.
open the front of the hips, stretch the front of the thighs, lengthen the belly, open the front of the ribcage and in some cases, open the front of the shoulders or arms.
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3. Standing forward bend
Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints, not from the waist. As you descend draw the front torso out of the groins and open the space between the pubis
and top sternum. As in all the forward bends, the emphasis is on lengthening the front torso as you move more fully into the position.
If possible, with your knees straight, bring your palms or finger tips to the floor slightly in front of or beside your feet.
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4. Down ward facing dog
Bring both legs backwards.
Lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body makes an inverted “V.”
Press your chest toward your knees, keep your eyes on your toes and press your heels toward the floor. Breathe deeply and move deeper into the pose with each exhalation. Depending on your flexibility, you may be able to touch the floor with your heels.
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5. Three-Legged Downward Dog Pose
Shift weight into your hands and your left foot equally. On an inhale then raise your right leg up to the ceiling. Try to keep your shoulders parallel with the ground and gaze at your left thigh or up towards your belly to help you stay balanced. To feel the stretch in your left hamstring, try to keep pressing your left heel down towards the ground.
Stay here for five or more breaths
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6. Low Lunge
exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning the right knee over the heel. Then lower your left knee to the floor and, keeping the right knee fixed in place,
Inhale and lift your torso to upright. As you do, place your hands on top of thigh. Draw the tailbone down toward the floor and lift your pubic bone toward your navel. Lift your chest from the firmness of your shoulder blades against the back torso.
you can bounce a bit until you feel a comfortable stretch in the left front thigh and groin.
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7. Runner’s Lunge
From a lunge with your right foot forward, tap your left knee down, and start to reach your hips back toward your left heel as you lengthen your right leg. Try to relax and fold over your right thigh. (If this is too intense on your hamstring, bend your knee until your muscles can relax.) Breathe here for 5 deep breaths.
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8. Front leg split ( Can make use of yoga blocks)
With both hands on the floor and slide right heel forward as much as feels comfortable. Your hips are square with your body. Your torso should be facing straight, not to the side, even if squaring your hips means you can’t go down as far
Both of your legs are straight, and turned slightly outward
Your chest is up, not leaning forward
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9. Final pose
Once you find your balance, open up your both hands and stretch them as far as possible.
Press shoulder down and help you to be balance also. Take note your body weight have to be equally disturbed on both legs.
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Video :
tirisula
Muscles Activated :
– the back hip is extending
(This means that the agonist muscles for this part of the pose are the gluteus maximus (the prime mover of hip extension) and the synergists of this action—the posterior portion of the gluteus medius and minimus, the hamstrings and the adductor magnus. )
– hip flexion , This stretch also works the rectus femoris
– engage the quadriceps
– stretch the synergists of hip flexion and extension .For the front hip, the adductor magnus (a synergist of hip extension that is stretching). For the back hip, adductors longus and brevis, and the pectineus (synergists of hip flexion that are stretching).
Benefits :
Hanumanasana stretches and strengthens muscles in the hamstrings, thighs and groin region. This
yoga pose also stimulates the abdominal organs and improves their functioning. A regular practice of
this pose ensures that the hips become more flexible over a period of time.
Spiritual:
As you practice this pose, notice the duality between your reach for the pose and the pains that may accompany your attempts. When you feel pain, turn your mind inward. Instead of focusing on the pain, use your breath to access your heart, finding the inner passion that created the leap of Hanuman. Notice that when you switch the mind from pain
Precaution :
Do not practice this yoga pose if you have any injuries, especially in the hamstring or groin area.
While practicing the pose, go slow and be careful at all times. This means that you should not push your body, beyond its limits of comfort.
Counter Pose :
Child’s Pose