Arms
Your shoulder exors engage. Your
anterior deltoids aid in shoulder
exion while your posterior deltoids
lengthen, yet some bers engage to
stabilize and externally rotate your
shoulders. Your triceps extend the
elbows. Feel space, not stiness, in your
joints as you reach through your ngers.
Neck
Your cervical extensors
engage to extend your cervical
spine while your cervical
exors engage and lengthen
to stabilize your neck, preventing
your head from dropping back.
ALIGNMENT
Your feet are hip-width apart to maintain
balance. Your front knee is directly over
your ankle or behind it for safety.
Press down
into feet to feel
core engage
Knee directly
over ankle
Slight
extension
of spine
Lift chin
slightly
Feet hip-
distance apart
Scissor
thighs
together
On ball of foot
This lunge is a good antidote
to sitting
down too much. It is also benecial for
runners or anyone who participates in
sports that involve running, because it
strengthens the muscles that power your
stride and stretches your hip exors.
THE BIG
PICTURE
In this pose, the muscles of your hips and
your gluteus muscles stretch and activate
dynamically to keep you balanced. Your
thigh muscles engage strongly to stabilize
your hips and knees, while your core muscles
stabilize your spine in a slight backbend.
CRESCENT
LUNGE
Anjaneyasana
THE ASANAS Standing
Sternocleidomastoid
Splenius muscles
Longus muscles
Deltoids
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis
Brachialis
Biceps brachii
Brachioradialis
Latissimus dorsi
Shoulder
Elbow
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99
Back leg
Your hip extensors extend your hip
while your hip exors stretch, and the
quadriceps extend your knee. All your
dorsiexors engage to come onto the
toes. If you sink your weight back, you’ll
feel a stretch in your calf muscles and
in the muscles and fascia on the soles
of your feet. If you need more stability, try
pressing into the ball of your foot.
Torso
Your spinal extensors and
transversus abdominis
engage to extend and stabilize
your spine. Your rhomboids
and trapezius engage to retract
your scapulae. Soften your upper
trapezius as you ex your
shoulders to release tension.
Your latissimus dorsi stretches
with your shoulders in exion.
Front leg
Your hip exors and external rotators
stabilize your hip and knee. Your gluteus
maximus stretches while engaging to
hold the pose. Your hamstrings ex and
stabilize your knee while lengthening
in hip exion. Your quadriceps engage
while lengthened. Your calf muscles
engage and lengthen, and your tibialis
anterior works to stabilize your ankle.
Iliacus
Transversus abdominis
Spinal extensors
Latissimus dorsi
Psoas major
Rectus abdominis
Biceps femoris
Vastus lateralis
Rectus femoris
Semitendinosus
Tensor fasciae latae
Gluteus maximus
Soleus
Gastrocnemius
Quadratus plantae
Tibialis anterior
Plantar fascia
Extensor digitorum longus
Adductor magnus
Rectus femoris
Vastus medialis
Semimembranosus
Sartorius
Tensor fasciae latae
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis anterior
Knee
Hip
Knee
Spine
KEY
Joints
Muscles
Engaging
Engaging while
stretching
Stretching
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CRESCENT LUNGE
Anjaneyasana THE ASANAS Standing
CLOSER LOOK
You may try modifications to find
comfort and ecient alignment.
This pose presents an opportunity
to consciously release common
“stress” and “fear” muscles like the
upper trapezius and psoas major.
Deep to the trapezius,
your rhomboids stabilize
your shoulder blades
Spinal extensors
engage on both sides
Fingers reach
up softly
Spinal exibility
Highly exible people often allow their pelvic
bowl to tilt forward, creating an extreme arch
in the spine (see pp.14–15). If this is you, bring
in your low ribs and engage your abdominals,
particularly your transversus abdominis.
However, don’t overcompensate by tucking
the tailbone and losing the lumbar curve.
Trapezius recruitment
Your trapezius has three parts, and four ber
directions. When you ex your shoulders, all
of the bers engage to varying degrees.
Your upper traps engage slightly to elevate
the scapulae, though many overengage
these muscles, causing tension. Your middle
and lower traps should be the main players.
Head is gently
tilted up
Trapezius muscles
engage
Latissimus dorsi
stretches
Trapezius III
(middle):
retraction
Trapezius I
(upper):
shoulder blade
elevation
Trapezius IV
(lower):
upward rotation,
depression,
retraction
Trapezius II
(middle):
elevation, upward
rotation, retraction
Tuck in
low ribs
Engage
transversus
abdominis
Lumbar
curve
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101
Calf muscles engage
slightly to maintain
balance while stretching
Back foot is flexed
(in dorsiflexion)
Tight hamstrings
If your hamstrings are tight, they
may be pulling your pelvis into
posterior tilt and rounding your
lumbar spine. If this is you, or if
you feel pinching in your lower
back, try bending your back
knee into exion to lessen the
pull on your hamstrings, coming
to a more neutral position.
Flex this knee
to bring spine
and pelvis
into position
VARIATION
Place your back knee on the floor or
on a folded blanket to reduce intensity.
You could also place your hands on the
floor to take balance out of the equation,
allowing you to focus solely on stretching.
Back knee rests
on the floor
Avoid
rounding the
lumbar spine
Pelvis is close
to neutral
Hamstrings
pull on pelvis
Hamstrings
engage strongly
Knee is flexed
Plantar fascia
stretches on
sole of foot
Psoas minor
Psoas major
Iliacus
Sartorius
Rectus femoris
Tensor fasciae
latae
Hip exors
If you sit a lot, your hip exors may be tight.
You may feel a profound sense of release
following this asana, because your psoas is
considered a fear reex muscle. Ancient
humans would engage it to run from predators;
modern humans unconsciously engage it
while stressed, seated at a computer.
POSTERIOR
LATERAL VIEW
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