Utthita ashwa sanchalanasana-Lunge Pose

Utthita ashwa sanchalanasana is a yoga pose that stretches the spine, opens the chest and strengthens the legs. This pose is one of the 12 poses of the traditional Hatha yoga Sun Salutation sequence. The name of this pose comes from the Sanskrit words utthita, meaning "raised," ashwa sanchalan, meaning "horse riding" or "lunge," and asana, meaning "pose."

Procedure for ding Utthita ashwa sanchalanasana

1. Take a big step forward with your left foot to start in a staggered stance, with your feet almost mat-length apart.
2. Bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight and heel lifted off the floor. Try to bend your front leg so that your thigh is parallel to the floor. Square your hips toward the front.
3. Extend your arms toward the ceiling on either side of your head and stretch up as you also press into the mat and feel the stretch in your hips.
4. Hold for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side.
5. To move into Low Lunge/Anjaneyasana, simply drop your back knee to the floor, keeping the leg extended long and the shin flat on the mat.
6. "It’s more important to keep your spine long than it is to straighten your back leg," notes Peterson. Feel free to bend your back leg if it will help you lift your torso and lengthen your back.
7. Quick note: Different instructors may have slightly different interpretations of lunge variations. While some may call this Crescent Lunge, others may simply call it High Lunge, which can also mean a similar pose where the hands are placed on the mat on either side of the front leg.