Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

Steps

From hands and knees, step one foot forward between the hands.
Lower the back knee. Pad it with a blanket. Untuck the toes if that feels kinder.
Hands can stay on blocks beside the front foot, or on the front thigh.
Shift the hips forward a little. Keep the front knee over the ankle. Switch sides.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

Lengthens the front of the hip, which often feels short after sitting.
A building block for Warrior I.
Easy to make smaller.

Common mistakes

The front knee shooting far past the ankle.
Dropping into a big backbend and pinching the lower back.
The back knee on a hard floor with no padding.

Modifications

Hands on blocks.
Less forward shift. Even a small shift is the pose.

Practicing Low Lunge at home

Low Lunge, or Anjaneyasana, is a simple kneeling shape that brings attention to the front of the back hip. The pose can be quite small and still feel clear. You’re not trying to make it into a deep backbend. Instead, look for steady space across the front of the back hip while the front foot stays grounded and the front knee stacks over the ankle. If you’ve been sitting a lot, many people find this shape helps them notice where they’re holding tightness.

Set yourself up so the pose feels supported. A folded blanket under the back knee can make a big difference, and blocks under your hands can give your chest more room without forcing the hips forward. If your lower back starts to feel pinched, ease out a little and take a smaller shift forward. You might also keep your hands on your front thigh so you can lift through the chest without leaning back. Breathing through your nose, if that’s comfortable, can help you keep the effort even.

This pose often works well in the middle of a short home practice, especially after hands and knees and before standing shapes. You can stay for a few slow breaths on each side. It’s working for you if the breath stays smooth, the back knee feels cared for, and you sense stretch in the front of the back hip more than strain in the low back or front knee. If something pinches, shorten the stance, use more padding, or come out and reset.

Safety

Knee pain in the back knee: more padding, or take a standing high lunge instead.
Front-knee pain: shorten the stance.
Skip deep lunges if a clinician has limited your hip extension.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana, said ahn-jah-nay-AHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Kneeling pose. The body area it emphasizes is Hips. One foot forward, the back knee down. You are looking for space in the front of the back hip, not a deep backbend.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: The front knee shooting far past the ankle. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Low Lunge for a plain reason: Lengthens the front of the hip, which often feels short after sitting. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Knee pain in the back knee: more padding, or take a standing high lunge instead.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Low Lunge. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Low Lunge with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Low Lunge: common questions

Where should I feel Low Lunge?

Most of the sensation is usually at the front of the back hip. You may also notice work in the front leg and some lift through the chest. If you mainly feel pressure in the low back or pain at either knee, make the pose smaller and adjust your support.

What if my back knee hurts in Low Lunge?

Place a folded blanket under the back knee and untuck the toes if that feels kinder. You can also reduce how far you shift forward. If kneeling still doesn’t feel workable, a standing high lunge is often a better choice for that day.

How far forward should I move in Low Lunge?

Only a little. Even a small forward shift counts as the pose. Keep the front knee over the ankle rather than letting it shoot far ahead. A good amount is one where you can breathe steadily and feel space in the front of the back hip without a big backbend.