This week Jill is going to focus on the Hamstrings. You will dial in on the connection between the sit bone and the heel and lengthening and engaging the muscles that run all the way down the back of the leg. THIS time around, we will add a focus on straightening the knee. There are lots of reasons that people don't straighten the knee all the way in this pose - hamstring flexibility being one main reason. But for some, that isn't the reason - it's just a shadowy spot of unawareness. Maybe you don't regularly do things that require you to straighten the knee ALL THE WAY. Maybe you've been told to "microbend" the knee to "keep it safe." As with all things movement-related, it's a good idea to explore all the options you have, because the more skilled you are in more options, the less likely you are to have aches, pains, or injury. So let's get after those creaky knees!
We will also revisit Hanumanasana, which has some cool mythology:
Hanumanasana is named after the Monkey demi-god Hanuman. Hanuman was born Anjaneya, the son of the wind god Vayu and a mortal woman named Anjana. He was quite a precocious child, and one day he saw what he thought was a giant mango floating in the sky. Using his powers, he leaped into the sky to try claim the largest and juiciest of his favorite fruit he had ever seen. Unbeknownst to him, that "mango" was actually the sun, and as he flew towards the sun god Surya knocked him from the sky with a giant lightning bolt, breaking Anjaneya's jaw and killing him instantly. The wind god (the boy's father) was furious, so he took in a breath so deep he sucked all the air out of the world and people began to suffocate. Surya agreed to bring the boy back to life, but he would be taken from his mother and given to the monkey king to be raised. His name was changed to Hanuman after his broken jaw, and he was cursed with very short-term memory so that he could never remember his power long enough to be of any more trouble. Hanuman took the shape of a monkey to better fit in with his new family.
Hanuman became a great warrior in the monkey clan, and eventually he met King Ram. They became fast friends, and Hanuman swore to never leave Ram's side he loved his friend so. One day Ram's wife Sita was kidnapped by an evil king and Ram sent Hanuman to cross the sea to the evil king's empire to bring her home safely. Although Hanuman was a great and powerful warrior, he was not sure how he could rescue the queen, becuase he was unable to remember his own power from battle to battle. His love for his friend moved him to try anyway, and when he got to the shore and knelt in prayer, praying to be filled with the grace and power to accomplish what he felt was impossible. When he had gathered his courage, he took a mighty leap across the sea, with one leg in front and one leg behind. He leapt with such force that it flattened trees and hills as he took off. Many obstacles tried to stop him on his leap across the sea - including a monster who rose from the sea to try to eat him as he flew over. But Hanuman prevailed, rescuing the queen and bringing her home to safety.
Things to keep in mind when practicing this pose: When Hanuman knelt down to pray for the strength to accomplish what appeared to be an impossible task, he ALREADY HAD THE POWER IN HIM. He had simply forgotten his own power. In addition, even though he was afraid, he had the faith and courage to TRY ANYWAY. His love for his friend the king overpowered any feelings of inadequacy and he knew he had to try. And when he did try, he leapt with such force that he flattened trees and hills. He put his ALL into it. How many times in your life have you shrunk from a task because you felt it was impossible? Or maybe just a little too hard? We forget that we have so much untapped power within us, if we will just set our heart to a space of love and compassion and then leap with all of our might, we can accomplish amazing things. Not just yoga poses, but in life.
So let's invoke a little of that in our practice this week and see if that might open up those stubborn hamstrings a little. Then we can step off of our mat reflecting on our own forgotten inner power to overcome enormous odds and rescue our beautiful gentle spirits from a harsh and sometimes terrifying world.
Vinyasa is an energetic yoga style fluidly moving you from one pose to the next with a focus on connecting breath to movement. This type of yoga makes for a vigorous and revitalizing form of physical asana practice. This is a heated class. Room temperature ranges between 92-100 degrees. Our experienced instructors have discretion to adjust the heat based on various factors including their sequence, the number of students, humidity levels, etc.
