Hanumanasana yoga or Happy Monkey pose is an advanced seated asana as basic exercise. It is also the most popular yoga variant of the forward folds. For best results, practice this pose at least once a week. Beginners can try to hold the pose for about five to ten seconds. After that, they can try to go deeper.
The benefits of this pose cannot be over-emphasized. It helps build strength and flexibility in the hips, thighs and buttocks as well as the back, pelvis and shoulders. These three important body parts are crucial to any yoga practice. The forward folds in the back, pelvis and shoulders, especially the forward slant in the pelvis in the front splits pose, help to enhance these functions.
In the forward fold, the legs go forward, the torso stays upright and the torso moves from the feet to the ball of the foot. The forward fold in the pelvis means that the hanumanasana also goes on to involve the upper body. This is beneficial because it makes it easier to raise the torso through the contraction of the gluteus, which is behind the ribcage. The upper body can then be raised with the arms and legs. In addition, the back follows the direction of the raised foot and becomes straight, like a plank. Thus, the weight of the entire body is carried along the upper part of the leg, thereby strengthening the quadriceps muscles and the hamstrings.
This pose should not be practiced with contraindications due to the knees crossing the feet or with the body slouched forward. The hanumanasana contraindications are: if you have flat feet; if your hips are too high; if the sacrum is too low; or if you have a tendency to be unevenly balanced. For the sake of safety, it is best to work with a trained yoga teacher who can ensure that you are practicing the pose correctly. Since this posture stretches the hip flexors as well as the knee muscles, you must be careful not to put too much force on the quads if you are new to this pose. It is important to keep the quads working for balance and support the thigh muscles.
If you are practicing this pose with a class, you will notice that it does not take long before you start feeling the tension in your quads. This is okay because it is during this time that you should pay close attention to how the muscle contraction feels. The key to performing the hanumanasana correctly is to breathe in while the muscles of your legs and hips are extended. You can simply focus on the breath instead of trying to control the movement of your limbs as you move your hands.
When you have mastered the basic hanumanasana poses, you can experiment with some additional exercises. For example, you can make both arms stay straight without actually moving them during the exercise. Then, as you inhale you can bend your torso to allow your arms to move. This allows you to gain more flexibility, balance, strength, and stability. You may also want to try varying the number of breaths you take in and exhale throughout the exercise.
There are a few things that you must keep in mind when performing these poses. For one thing, it is important to remember that hanumanasana is primarily performed in a supine position. You must use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs and pull your pelvis forward. While performing these poses, it is important to remember that your thighs should not be folded over your chest nor should they be bent at the knees. The key to getting these poses to work properly is keeping your center of gravity over the hips and not your chest or head.
It may seem like a challenging task to maintain the proper alignment if you are not aware of your center of gravity. It is important that you understand that the abdominals will be working while performing this exercise and so you want to ensure that your center of gravity is above the hips. Otherwise, you will pull your pelvis into your chest and your back muscles will compensate and you will end up tightening your abdominals instead of relaxing them. In addition, make sure that you perform the hanumanasana correctly and do not cheat by raising your legs too high. Lastly, practice yoga and stretch before performing these poses to help release any tension and stress that may be built up in the muscles and joints throughout your body.
Types Of Yoga Poses
- Lotus position Yoga –
- Adho mukha svanasana Yoga
- Handstand Yoga
- Shavasana Yoga
- Balasana Yoga
- Bhujangasana Yoga
- Kapotasana Yoga
- Tadasana Yoga
- Bakasana Yoga
- Vajrasana Yoga
- Vrikshasana Yoga
- Trikonasana Yoga
- Dhanurasana Yoga
- Shirshasana Yoga
- Chaturanga Dandasana Yoga
- Ustrasana Yoga
- Uttanasana Yoga
- Sarvangasana Yoga
- Navasana Yoga
- Bhekasana (Mandukasana) Yoga
- Mālāsana Yoga
- Halasana Yoga
- Paschimottanasana Yoga
- Sukhasana Yoga
- Chakrasana Yoga
- Gomukhasanab Yoga
- Baddha Konasana Yoga
- Virasana Yoga
- Utkatasana Yoga
- Garudasana Yoga
- Ardha Chandrasana Yoga
- Marjariasana Yoga
- Matsyasana Yoga
- Mayurasana Yoga
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana ( Bridge Pose) Yoga
- Salabhasana Yoga
- Viparita Karani Yoga
- Virabhadrasana I Yoga
- Utthita Parsvakonasana Yoga
- Matsyendrasana Yoga
- Janusirsasana Yoga
- Dandasana Yoga
- Siddhasana Yoga
- Hanumanasana Yoga
- Makarasana Yoga
- Natarajasana Yoga
- Pincha Mayurasana Yoga
- Supta Baddha Konasana Yoga
- Simhasana Yoga
- Upavistha Konasana Yoga
