Anjaneyasana, or low lunge, is a wonderful posture to take towards the beginning of your asana practice, after some gentle warm-ups like cat/cow, child’s pose and side stretches. It provides an opportunity to stretch the quads and hip flexors. Low lunge helps to increase balance, sharpen mental focus, and open the heart.
To come into low lunge, align the front knee over the ankle. Make sure that the knee is not moving forward over the toes or out to either side. Slide the opposite knee back until there is a comfortable stretch in the thigh and groin. Draw the tailbone down towards the earth, lift the arms to the sky while allowing the shoulders to drop down the back, and pull the bottom front ribs in and down to create length through all sides of the torso. You’ll want to press straight down through the front foot (this will lift your hips slight up and away from the mat) and pull your inner thighs towards one another. This action allows you to balance both stretching and strengthening. You can take a flow in low lunge: inhaling reaching the fingertips up, then exhaling and bending the elbows or hold stillness and feel the heart gradually lifting and opening with each round of breath.
If you feel wobbly in low lunge, try practicing the pose facing a wall. Take the short side of the mat against the wall and press the big toe of the front foot into the wall. Finding stability from the ground up ensures a strong foundation: the more intentional the placement of the feet and legs against the mat, the more stable and balanced the overall pose will feel!
