Anjaneyasana (Sanskrit:अञ्जनेयासन,romanized: añjaneyāsana,lit. 'son of Añjanī pose'),Crescent Moon Pose,[1] orAshva Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose[2]) is alunging back bendingasana in modernyoga as exercise.
It is sometimes included as one of the asanas in theSurya Namaskar sequence, though usually with arms down in that case. Variations includeUtthana Pristhasana,Lizard Pose.
The name Anjaneya is amatronymic forHanuman, whose mother's name isAnjani. Hanuman is a central figure in the epicRāmāyaṇa, and an importantIṣṭa-devatā in devotional worship.[3]
Like many standing asanas, Anjaneyasana was unknown in medievalhatha yoga, and was brought intomodern yoga in the 20th century fromIndian martial arts. It is used in schools of modern yoga such asSivananda Yoga.[1] It is included as one of the asanas inAshtanga (vinyasa) yoga's type 1Surya Namaskar sequence.[4]
The asana is entered from alunge, with the back knee lowered to the ground, the back arched and the arms raised and stretched over the head. The toes of the back foot are pointed back in styles such as Ashtanga Yoga and other styles, the top of the foot on the floor, though in other styles such as Sivananda Yoga the toes are tucked under. The front foot remains in standing position, the hips lowered close to the front foot and the front knee fully bent and pointing forwards. In the full asana, the rear foot is lifted and grasped with both hands, the elbows pointing up.[2][1][5]
Parivritta Anjaneyasana, a preparatory pose forParivritta Parsvakonasana (where the rear knee is off the floor),[6] is the rotated form of the pose. This has the opposite elbow to the bent forward knee, and the rear knee on the floor.[7][8]
Utthana Pristhasana, Lizard pose, is a variant with the forearms on the floor.[9]
Moving the front foot on to its side so the knee comes to the ground enables a transition to a related back bend,Rajakapotasana.[1]
Some teachers use the name Crescent Moon Pose for a lunge with raised knee and raised hands, as inVirabhadrasana I.[10] Some use the name Parivritta Anjaneyasana for Parivritta Parsvakonasana with elbow to knee.[11]
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