Hanuman is the powerful monkey God. He symbolizes devotion, physical strength, perseverance, and is known as the Mahaveera (great hero). He teaches the unlimited power that lies within each of us, and is said to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Hanuman's parents are Vayu, the god of Wind, and Anjana. Anjana's birth to Hanuman was the cure to a curse that had been placed on her. Hanuman was a devoted servant of Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu). He studied the scriptrues with Surya (Sun God) who was impressed with Hanuman's ability to learn so quickly.
In the Indian epic Ramayana, Rama was in exile in the Dandaka forest with his wife Sita and brother Laksmana when Ravana (the demon king of Lanka), captured Sita and brought her to Lanka. Rama asked Hanuman and the army of monkeys for help in in their search for Sita...so Hanuman leaping over the sea to search for her. He found Sita in Ravana's palace. When Hanuman returned with the news, Rama built a bridge of stones across the sea to Lanka where he battled Ravana and saved Sita. During the battle, Laksmana had been wounded by an arrow. The only cure for this wound was an herb which grew in the Himalayas. So Hanuman leaped across the sea to the Himalayas to bring Laksmana the herb that would save his life.
Inspiring yogi Nicki Doane in Hanumanasana.
Hanumanasana can allow an amazing opportunity to split one's self open both physically as well as metaphorically. It has the potential to give us an opportunity to truly dissect what is happening in our mind, witness it. Because Hanumanasana is a challenging pose for the majority of people, there is a tendency for the Ego to come up in a very overt way. Thoughts of frustration, limitation, and self-doubt tend to surface in the form of question: Why can't I do this? Why is the person next to me able do it? What is wrong with me? When will I be able to do it? And so forth...
Because the goal here is so concrete, one is given an opportunity to see exactly how far one is from the goal. We can see it in the floor, like a ruler, telling us exactly where we are. Therefore, the pose confronts us with a reality that is not always to our liking. In many other positions this reality is not so clear-cut and obvious to us. By taking the position of the witness in this pose, one can begin to practice observing thoughts, but not identifying with them, seeing that they are just thoughts, and not getting emotionally caught up in them. On a physical level, we have the opportunity to do the same, to just note the fact that this body can do this much of the pose at this point in time. By creating this type of distance, and realizing that you can observe the thoughts or the position that your body is in, you can begin to realize you are not the body or the mind. By gaining true awareness that you are not the body and the mind, but that your true Self is beyond that, you can attain yoga, enlightenment, and immortality.
In the event that one has advanced in the pose, or it has come easily from the start, the Ego remains something to look out for in Hanumanasana, because pride can set in as a result of having the ability to be in full pose.
If you are advancing in the position, let that victory be complete by allowing the blockages of your body to open up to their fullest potential, and letting the Divine Spirit flow freely through you. Become an open channel for the Divine to manifest through you and out into the universe for the benefit of all.
When one is in the full pose, one's most intimate body parts are grounded into the Earth, which is a unique and powerful experience. Fully open, fully leaping beyond limitation. It is an amazing feeling, and the perfect gesture is to lift the arms up in a prayer of gratitude and awe.
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