 "It
was the greatest leap ever taken. The speed of Hanuman's
jump pulled blossoms and flowers into the air after
him and they fell like little stars on the waving treetops.
The animals on the beach had never seen such a thing;
they cheered Hanuman, then the air burned from his passage,
and red clouds flamed over the sky . . ." (Ramayana,
retold by William Buck).
This pose then, in which the legs are split forward
and back, mimics Hanuman's famous leap from the southern
tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka.
(hah-new-mahn-AHS-anna)
Practice this pose on a bare floor (without a sticky
mat) with folded blankets under the back knee and
front heel.
Step by Step
Kneel on the floor. Step your right foot forward
about a foot in front of your left knee, and rotate
your right thigh outwardly. Do this by lifting the
inner sole away from the floor and resting the foot
on the outer heel.
Exhale and lean your torso forward, pressing your
fingertips to the floor. Slowly slide your left knee
back, straightening the knee and at the same time
descending the right thigh toward the floor. Stop
straightening the back knee just before you reach
the limit of your stretch.
Now begin to push the right heel away from your
torso. Because we started with a strong external rotation
of the front leg, gradually turn the leg inward as
it straightens to bring the kneecap toward the ceiling.
As the front leg straightens, resume pressing the
left knee back, and carefully descend the front of
the left thigh and the back of the right leg (and
the base of the pelvis) to the floor. Make sure the
center of the right knee points directly up toward
the ceiling.
Also check to see that the back leg extends straight
out of the hip (and isn't angled out to the side),
and that the center of the back kneecap is pressing
directly on the floor. Keep the front leg active by
extending through the heel and lifting the ball of
the foot toward the ceiling. Bring the hands into
Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal) or stretch the arms
straight up toward the ceiling.
Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. To
come out, press your hands to the floor, turn the
front leg out slightly, and slowly return the front
heel and the back knee to their starting positions.
Then reverse the legs and repeat for the same length
of time. |
