Welcome to Yoga Workshop Fridays. Don’t know what I am talking about, check out this post.
Today’s pose is low lunge, also known as Anjaneyasana in sandskrit. Low lunge is often done in a sun salutation in a vinyasa class. I like to do a short flow with low lunge in class before moving to high lunge as we warm up the body. Not only do I use this pose to warm up for a yoga class, but I often practice this pose after a leg workout when I weight lift. It provides a great stretch for your thighs and opens the front of the hip.
Disclaimer: Though I am a certified yoga instructor, please consult your doctor before you begin practice and note that everyone’s practice may look a bit different as you align the pose to your body.
This series will be each Friday explaining how to do a particular pose leading up to a peak pose on the last Friday of the month. Throughout this series, I ask that you listen to your body to prevent injury and warm up for a pose when needed.
How to do the pose:
Option 1: Flowing from a sun salutation, after inhaling for half lift, step the left foot back and plant the hands on the ground, framing the right foot. Keep the right knee over the right ankle. Lower the back knee down, untuck the toes and make sure the toes are pointing straight back. Extend the crown of your head to lengthen your neck.
On an inhale, raise the arms overhead, externally rotating the arms so that the palms are facing in towards one another. Lift your chest up and relax the shoulders down your back with hips level and square to the front of the mat.
Option 2: From downdog, lifting the right leg up on an inhale and then exhale as you step the foot between your hands at the top of the mat. Then continue with the steps listed above from lowering the back knee down.
You also have the option to turn this pose into a slight backbend. On an inhale, lift the chest up, reach the fingertips towards the ceiling and as you exhale, take the head and fingertips back leaning backwards and opening up the chest towards the sky.
Once you have finished on one side, repeat the pose on the second side so that you can evenly work your body.
Benefits:
- Stretches through the chest, thighs and groin area
- Helps to work on balance
- Strengthens shoulders and arms
- Strengthens your quadriceps
Share your pose on Instagram, tagging @bridgesthroughlife and hashtags #bridgesthroughlife #yogaworkshopFridays
I hope you enjoy this series. If you have any suggestions for what poses you would like me to break down, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or send me an email [email protected]
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