Posture of the month: Hanumanasana
Full splits - a giant leap!
This December, we will practice Hanumanasana - the Full Splits. As an advanced posture it may look challenging, but throughout this month we will practice preliminary postures that will allow you to safely get into and out of this beautiful posture.
In Sanskrit, the ancient language of the yogis, Hanumanasana means 'Hanuman Posture', from Hanuman (Monkey demigod and companion of Lord Rama) and Asana (seat or posture).
Keep reading to hear about the beautiful back story of Hanumanasana, a tale of unconditional love and devotion…
The benefits of practicing Hanumanasana
Before you start practicing, make sure you are fully warmed up - especially around your hamstrings - to avoid pain and injuries.
Pigeon pose variations are great preliminary postures t work towards the splits
Hanumanasana helps improve the flexibility of your hamstrings, psoas, calves, groins, pelvis, and hips, and tones all your leg muscles.
For women, it can help soothe menstrual cramps
It balances and literally grounds the mooladhara (root) chakra
Practicing the splits balances the nervous system
On a mental level, working towards the full splits allows us to step into our courage and overcome fear and mental limitations
The story of Hanuman, the monkey god
In Hindu mythology, Hanuman the monkey deity is the son of Vayu (the lord of the wind) and a human princess, Anjana, which gives him a footing both in the spiritual and the material world. He was born with the name Anjaneya (which is the basis for another yoga posture, Anjaneyasana) and personifies the qualities of strength, bravery and spiritual devotion.
A precocious wild child
Being a demigod and son of the wind, he was born with the ability to take giant leaps. Once, as a little boy, he saw the sun and mistook it for a giant mango. So he leapt and tried to take a bite out of it, which prompted the sun god, Surya, to strike him down with a deadly lightning bolt, hitting him in the jaw. His father Vayu came to the rescue by refusing to breathe (and make wind) until his son was brought back to life. To soothe Surya’s concerns about the boy’s precociousness and powers though, it was agreed that he - now named Hanuman - would have such short term memory that he would be unable to remember his divinity long enough to cause harm. He also was removed from his mother’s care and sent to live with the respected monkey king, Sugriva, taking the appearance of a monkey in order to blend in at his court.
Devotion to the spiritual master
Later in life, Hanuman became the best friend and devoted follower of Lord Rama, the ideal king and hero of the famous Indian epic Ramayana. As son of the wind, his mighty leaps were still his biggest super power, and when Rama needed his help, Hanuman was always ready to show up with him. The most famous episode took place during the battle of Lanka (yes, Sri Lanka…) when the evil demon king Ravana had abducted Rama’s beloved wife Sita. With a force “that made the sand fly and the waves run backward”, Hanuman made a giant leap to the palace garden where Sita was being held captive, to find her and assure her that Rama was on his was to rescue her. On another occasion, Rama’s brother Lakshman had been fatally woulded and only a rare herb from a faraway mountain could rescue him. Hanuman didn’t wait to hear which herb it was and leapt… and to not make a mistake ended up uprooting the whole mountain to bring it back for the doctors to decide which herb was the right one. (No worries, the doctors received the herb, cured Lakshman and told Hanuman to put the mountain back afterwards..!)
What we can learn from Hanuman
More than anything, Hanumanasana shows the power of devotion to a beloved guru (teacher) in our life. When we love, respect and admire our teacher, as students we are able to rise through the power of love and faith. We are literally able to make giant leaps, and move mountains. And yet… we also have to learn to pause and listen, and not jump the gun, so instead of having to carry a whole mountain, we can just pick that one important herb…
So are you ready to take a giant leap this month and learn the splits? Then come along to Flex regularly and practice with us! There are over 25 classes/week, and we will practice Hanumanasana daily during all of December 2021!
Our gratitude for their insights this month goes to Trudy Collings at Paavaniayurveda.com and Zo Nevell from Yogainternational