Anjaneyasana or crescent moon pose is nice on your decrease physique. However it can solely strengthen your legs for those who do it proper. Observe these steps and revel in its well being advantages.
On this planet of power coaching, lunges have gained reputation for his or her potential to make the hips, legs, and again sturdy. They’re additionally nice for bettering mobility in addition to stability. The fascinating factor about this train is you can additionally do them throughout your yoga class. A barely difficult model of this train goes by the title anjaneyasana in Yoga. It’s typically known as the low lunge pose or crescent moon pose. On this pose, your entrance knee shall be bent at a 90-degree angle whereas your again leg shall be prolonged behind you, and your arms shall be raised overhead. It’s significantly good on your decrease physique, because it stretches the tight muscle groups in that portion.
What’s anjaneyasana?
Anjaneyasana, also called the low lunge pose or crescent moon pose, is a dynamic yoga posture that gives quite a few well being advantages. “This pose involves a deep stretch of the hips and legs while simultaneously promoting balance, coordination, and mental focus,” says health coach Dr Mickey Mehta. The Low Lunge Pose is usually used as a preparatory posture for deeper stretches or a complicated pose like hanumanasana or the monkey pose.
Anjaneyasana is nice on your legs. Picture courtesy: Adobe Inventory
Listed below are the muscle groups stretched within the crescent moon pose:
It stretches the hip flexors, quadriceps, and hamstrings, with further consideration to biceps femoris, which is the muscle at the back of the thigh. The glutes, and particularly the gluteus maximus, are stimulated. There’s additionally a really delicate stretch alongside the chest and shoulders (pectoralis main, deltoids) and even higher again.What are the advantages of anjaneyasana?1. Strengthens decrease physique
Anjaneyasana helps to stretch many muscle groups such because the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, which in flip strengthens the legs. Lunges, together with low lunge, can tone the hips, glutes, and thighs, in accordance with analysis revealed within the Journal Of Human Kinetics in 2018.
2. Coronary heart-opening pose
“Crescent moon pose is considered a heart-opening pose because it stretches the chest and shoulders, which reduces tension and makes you sit up straight,” says the knowledgeable. This makes you increase your chest and opens up your lungs for growth.
3. Improves coordination and steadiness
Yoga, usually, is understood to enhance bodily steadiness in individuals. A 2016 examine, revealed in Age And Ageing, confirmed that yoga will help in enchancment in steadiness in individuals aged greater than 60. Anjaneyasana focuses on bettering focus and steadiness. The focus wanted to carry the posture helps to strengthen the body-mind connection. “This is a good pose to enhance both physical as well as mental balance,” says Dr Mehta.
4. Prepares for deeper stretches
It may be used as a previous pose to extra complicated positions like hanumanasana (monkey pose) or eka pada rajakapotasana (one-legged king pigeon pose). This helps to open up the hips and thighs, permitting for a smoother transition into deeper stretches.
5. Aid from sciatic nerve ache
Performing the crescent moon pose will help to stretch the muscle groups across the sciatic nerve gently, significantly on the hip degree. “This helps to release any tension or pain that could result from the tightening or compression of the sciatic nerve,” says Dr Mehta.
6. Could also be good for digestion
Wind-Relieving Pose is likely one of the widespread asanas to enhance your intestine well being. If you’re on the lookout for a yoga pose to enhance digestion, it’s also possible to strive the crescent moon pose. Whereas doing the low lunge pose, your belly muscle groups get stimulates which helps to enhance digestion.
Easy methods to do anjaneyasana? Assume the excessive lunge place by having your proper foot ahead and the left leg straight backward. Let your left knee attain near the ground, along with your proper knee staying over your proper ankle. Interact your core, elongate the backbone, increase your chest and hold your shoulders relaxed. Stand along with your arms raised overhead and your palms dealing with one another whereas trying ahead or barely up. Maintain the pose for five to 10 breaths then change to the opposite aspect.
Crescent Moon Pose shouldn’t be achieved by individuals with knee accidents. Picture courtesy: Adobe StockVariations of anjaneyasana Anjaneyasana with knee carry: As an alternative of decreasing your again knee, hold it barely lifted to scale back knee pressure. Anjaneyasana with strap: Add a strap beneath your entrance foot for a deeper stretch within the hip and thigh. Anjaneyasana with ahead bend: Transfer ahead to the touch your arms to the bottom and create a extra intense stretch within the again leg and hip. Twisting anjaneyasana: Twist your torso to 1 aspect and hold your hips dealing with entrance for deep stretching within the backbone and hips. Anjaneyasana with wall help: Start dealing with a wall by leaning in opposition to the wall for stabilising your physique, transfer backward slowly after which attempt to convey your again leg up for stability.Who ought to keep away from anjaneyasana? These with knee accidents ought to keep away from deep knee bends or modify this pose by protecting your again knee barely lifted to scale back pressure. Modify the crescent moon pose by protecting your entrance thigh at a 90-degree angle to the bottom to forestall overextending your hip. Individuals with again accidents ought to consider protecting their backbone lengthy and keep away from deep ahead bends that will pressure their decrease again.
Anjaneyasana is extra of a foundational yoga pose that helps with bodily power, flexibility, and steadiness. This yoga pose can also be good for bettering focus.
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Associated FAQs
What’s the distinction between ashwa sanchalanasana and anjaneyasana?
Each ashwa sanchalanasana, the excessive lunge pose, and anjaneyasana, the low lunge pose, are comparable with their decrease physique engagements, however differ in foot alignment. The again foot is in a curled place with the toes tucked beneath in ashwa sanchalanasana, however the again foot’s toes are tucked in, with the knee lowered nearer to the bottom in anjaneyasana. The distinction comes right down to the elevated stretch depth within the hips and legs.
How lengthy must you maintain anjaneyasana?
Follow anjaneyasana for five to 10 seconds on each side. Whenever you get snug with the pose, you may enhance the time to 30 seconds or 1 minute on all sides.