Full Splits

Hi everyone, welcome to Yoga & You. This is Ishwarya, bringing your yoga practices all the way from its roots in India. Today we will be looking at a powerful posture, Hanumanasana, the front splits. This is more of an intermediate to advanced level practitioner's posture. So be very careful when you are trying this. Don't force your body. Hanumanasana is entirely a journey. Let's get started.

Lord Hanuman is a symbol of devotion, courage and an extraordinary leap. Legend says that he took this huge leap across the ocean from India to Sri Lanka in one big stride and this posture, Hanumanasana, is a recreation of the exact leap that he took. Hanumanasana is a deep hip opening posture demanding a lot of flexibility in your hamstrings as well as your hip flexors simultaneously. Hence it's important there to consider this a long journey and practice this with utmost safety. Energetically this asana demands you to increase your capacity to trust yourself and take courage to push yourself a little more. So that is the benefits of Hanumanasana.

This is a peak posture and demands a great deal from the body. So remember to place this in your sequence after a good level of warm up and do a good cool down after this posture.

To get started let's prepare the body. I have already done a great deal of warm up before and this is the last preparation. The final preparation before we enter the asana, always be careful. Do not force the body to enter the posture. It will only cause injuries and it will not give us any benefits. Generally coming to table top position and from here I want you to bring the right leg in the front.

So from here take the right leg slightly outside, inhale and you're going to first push the hips forward, push the hips down, tuck the back toe in, squeeze the left glutes and look up. You're going to feel a stretch on the left upper thigh, exhale, going to push the hips back and get into Ardha Hanumanasana by stretching the right leg, toes pointing up, take the forehead towards the floor. Inhale again push the hips forward. If you're very comfortable you can even take your hands off, keep pushing the hips down towards the floor. Feel the stretch on the left hip, exhale and push the hips back, toes pointing up.

Ideally you would be very comfortable in entering a front split. If in your Anjaneyasana you're able to reach your fingertips down towards the floor which means your hip flexors are well open and as you take the hips back and you stretch the hamstrings you're able to lift the toes and you're comfortable in this forward pull. If not it's better that you work here because these two are the most demanding muscles when getting into a full Hanumanasana.

From here what I like to do is place the leg slightly outside the mat, it helps me slide the heel away from me. From here what I'm going to do you can either place blocks under your palms or stay here like I am and gently start sliding the front leg forward. Remember don't flare out the hips, imagine you have two headlights in the front and both are pointing front. So you're going to slide the legs forward, go up till your maximum, keep the hips square, support with your hands, keep going, go up till your maximum and you can stay there.

I like to go completely and stay. If you're very comfortable here and you reach the floor slowly take the hands up and join in Anjali Mudra. If you're very comfortable look up at your fingertips, gently bring your hands down.

From here how you're going to exit the pose, use your hands, lift yourself up, gently slide your legs back, get into child's pose and completely relax here in child's pose. Stay for a few moments of breath here before we start the next side.

A few things or a few common mistakes that I see people doing is bending the knees and knee is pointing sideways. Remember that if your hips fall to the side then it's very hard for you to stretch the muscles. So make sure the front leg knee is pointing towards the ceiling and the back leg knee is pointing towards the floor. So even if you're here make sure you don't fall to the side, instead keep your hips towards the center, knee pointing up, back knee pointing down.

After you come into the pose always make sure to have Uddiyana Bandha, meaning pull the knee well in. Breathing mainly happens from the chest and the shoulder region.

A few contraindications, it is better to avoid if you have any acute low back issues. If you have any hamstring injury it's best to avoid this until you're fully recovered. Pregnant women it's better to avoid this asana after the first trimester and if you're an absolute beginner it's better to stick with Anjaneyasana and Ardha Hanumanasana to prepare your body.

Thank you all for joining me in today's practice and in this wonderful peak posture Hanumanasana, I'll again see you for another episode.