High Crescent Lunge Pose Step-By-Step
- Starting in Downward-Facing Dog Pose, slowly step your right foot between your hands and bring your knee in line with your ankle.
- Keep your left leg stretched behind you as you shift your weight onto the ball of your foot. Ensure that your feet are on two separate tracks in line with your hips.
- Balancing onto your legs, slowly raise your upper body and sweep your arms over your head in line with your ears. Keep your palms facing each other and extend through the tips of your fingers to fully activate your arms.
- Shift your hips forward to lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and straighten your pelvis. Try to avoid curving your spine too much, and if you notice any pressure in your lower back, you can shorten your stance.
- Reach through the back of your left heel and ground into the four corners of your front foot.
- Slowly gaze upwards between your hands and hold this pose for a few breaths.
- To exit the pose, slowly drop your hands onto the floor beside your front foot and step your right foot back behind you to return to Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Repeat this pose on the opposite side.
High Lunge Pose Crescent Variation Quick Look
Sanskrit Name: Anjaneyasana
Pose Type: Standing Yoga Poses
Difficulty Level: Intermediate pose
Targets: Arms, shoulders, lower back, upper back, glutes, hamstrings, hips, knees, quadriceps, calves, ankles, toes, lower back, and chest
Benefits: Improves balance, strengthens the legs and arms, opens the chest, stretches the toes and ankles, balances the pelvis, increases blood circulation, strengths the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves, stretches the lower back, upper back, and chest
Preparatory Poses: High Lunge Pose, Low Lunge Pose, Downward-Facing Dog Pose, Wide-Legged Forward Fold Pose, Chair Pose
Notes
If you are a vinyasa yoga fan, you have likely encountered the High Lunge Pose – Crescent Variation many times. A well-loved yoga pose in active yoga practices, this posture is truly a full-body stimulation and provides a range of benefits for the entire body, mind, and soul. When practiced regularly, this yoga pose can build strength and improve balance in no time.
“High Lunge Pose – Crescent Variation is my favorite yoga pose to explore pelvic alignment,” says Yoga Answered contributor Isabella Koepf. “I often encourage my students to explore how they can make gentle adjustments in their hips to feel a radical difference in their pelvis, providing them with a direct experience of pelvic stability that they can take with them off the mat.”
Beginner’s Tip
This yoga pose is also the foundation of many other yoga poses, so it is essential to build strength, stability, and balance in your legs. If you notice yourself losing balance, drop your hands onto your hips or make a wider stance between your legs to form a position similar to keeping your feet on two wide train tracks.
There is a limitless number of variations in this yoga pose, so allow yourself some time to explore different possibilities and see what feels best for your unique body.