Asana – Devotion to Hanumanasana

BKS Iyengar says about Hanumasasna: “It takes a long time to master this position and to attain it one must make several attempts each day to rest the legs straight on the floor, with the buttocks touching the ground. The back portion of the front leg and the front portion of the rear leg should touch the floor.” (Light on Yoga)

Working with Bhakti-Devotion and Viveka-Discernment, we move the body toward opening into Hanumanasana.

Legend of Hanuman

Rama had a problem. The demon king who presided in Sri Lanka, Ravana, had abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. Rama and his troops set out to rescue her from the demon. In the ensuing battle Rama’s brother, Laksmana, was wounded, and the only way to save him was with an herb that grew only in the Himalayas.  Hanuman, Rama’s greatest devotee, said he would accomplish this impossible task. He took one mighty leap that stretched all the way from the south of India to the Himalayas. At that point, he wasn’t sure which herb to pick, and so he carried the entire mountain with him as he made another massive leap back to the battlefield. The healers found the herb in question, and Laksmana’s life was saved.

In that giant leap Hanuman embodied his love for Rama. His intense devotion allowed him to do the impossible, and this is the lesson of Hanuman: Power comes from devotion.