Although this pose is quite popular in most yoga classes, many lunges do not have an official Sanskrit name. Just as it has several Sanskrit name options, the lunge also has many variations. There is great confusion and general disagreement, for example, with the Crescent Lunge but at the end of the day, they are all variations on the same pose. In Low Lunge Pose, our chakras are all engaged and flowing upward. The root is grounded through the legs and the feet, the Sacral Chakra is expressing desire, our solar plexus is active, the heart is open and reaching, and the energy is expressing itself upward through the throat, third eye and crown.
Sanskrit: Alanasana
Type: Standing
Level: Beginner
- Like the crescent lunge, the low lunge begins in the Downward-Facing Dog pose.
- As in the high lunge, you begin by stepping forward with your right foot, entering a lunging position so your heel rests under your knee with your foot flat on the ground.
- The position of your rear, or left, leg separates this pose from the crescent lunge.
- Lower your left knee to the ground with your calf extending straight behind you on the floor and your toes pointed out.
- Sweep your arms up and raise your torso so your back is straight, pulling your tailbone and shoulders toward the ground, just as you would during a high lunge.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat on the other side.