The Story of the Hanuman Splits - A Leap of Faith

As always, the following is not religious, nor does it promote any sort of deity worship.

As I have written about before, the line between yoga and Hinduism is a fine one, often intertwined and at times impossible to discern. Over my lifetime, I have found that I am able to disregard any religious connotations in stories, look beneath the surface, and simply find inspiration. My life has been inspired by the stories of the Sufis, the yogis, and even the Avengers.

I ask that you suspend belief, and your own beliefs, and just enjoy the story for what it is—an opportunity to find inspiration. For it can be found in the most obscure of places.

When we practice Hanumanasana—the deep front splits—we are not just stretching the body, we are stepping into a story as old as time. This pose represents Hanuman's legendary leap across the ocean to Lanka, where he courageously sought to rescue Sita, the beloved wife of Lord Rama. But how did this iconic asana, which wasn’t even mentioned in medieval Hatha Yoga texts, come to be such a foundational part of modern yoga?

The Origins: A Modern Creation with Ancient Roots

It might surprise many to learn that Hanumanasana isn’t found in traditional Hatha Yoga scriptures. In fact, the pose only appears in the 20th century, notably in works like B.K.S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga (1966) and Swami Satyananda Saraswati’s Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (2003). Interestingly, Swami Yogesvarananda refers to it as Vikatasana in First Steps to Higher Yoga (1970).

But what led to the creation of this pose? Many scholars believe it was Krishnamacharya, the father of modern yoga, who brought postures like Hanumanasana into the fold of yoga, drawing heavily from gymnastics and physical culture. It’s well documented that Krishnamacharya was influenced by the gymnastics traditions that were growing in popularity in India during the early 20th century, a result of colonial influence. Gymnastics included many challenging movements, such as the splits, which likely inspired Krishnamacharya to adapt this physically demanding posture into yoga.

Could it be that Krishnamacharya or one of his students saw a resemblance between the gymnastic splits and Hanuman's leap in the Ramayana? Perhaps they thought, “This looks like the split Hanuman made across the ocean!” and thus, the asana was born, woven into the rich tapestry of yogic mythology. While we can only hypothesise, the connection between Hanuman's devotion and courage and the physical strength required for Hanumanasana certainly makes sense. To me atleast.

How Can We Relate the Pose to Hanuman’s Leap?

Often, a pose is just a pose. The tree pose is just a great pose for balance and poise (and the most under-rated pose in my opinion) - but sometimes, as per my last blog on the dancer pose, we need a little divine intervention to get us through a pose as challenging—both physically and emotionally—as the Hanuman front splits pose.

So if you're struggling in the splits pose, your face is red, there's a huge anaconda of tension in your neck about to burst, and your muscles are screaming for relief—maybe you can close your eyes and imagine the story of the great leap by the Hindu deity Hanuman.

In the Ramayana, Hanuman’s leap was not merely a physical feat—it was an act of complete surrender and devotion to Lord Rama. After Sita, Rama’s wife, was abducted by the demon king Ravana, Hanuman, along with a group of vanaras (forest-dwelling monkeys), committed themselves to finding and rescuing her. However, when they reached the seashore at the southern tip of India, a vast ocean separated them from the island of Lanka where Sita was being held captive.

For some context, here are the key characters from the story -

So Hanuman reaches the seashore of southern India and is shocked at the vastness of the ocean that separated them from the island of Lanka - where Sita was being held captive.

It seemed impossible. The vast ocean stretched endlessly before Hanuman, separating him from Lanka, where Sita was held captive. The waves roared, and the sheer magnitude of the journey weighed heavily on him. None among the gathered vanaras (monkeys, apes, or a race of forest-dwelling people) believed anyone could cross such a distance, let alone return with news of Sita. Despair hung in the air, and Hanuman himself, though mighty, doubted his own power.

But then, the wise Jambavan, the ancient king of the bears, stepped forward. His deep, rumbling voice cut through the doubt like a beacon of truth. "O Hanuman, do you not remember who you are? You are the son of Vayu, the wind god! Your strength is limitless. The obstacles you see before you are but illusions to be shattered by the power you hold within."

Hanuman listened, but still hesitated. Could he truly accomplish such a feat? Seeing his uncertainty, Jambavan reminded him of his forgotten powers. "You were born with divine strength. All that you seek is already within you. Do not let doubt cloud your heart, for your purpose is righteous, and your devotion is unwavering."

As these words sunk in, something within Hanuman shifted. He felt a surge of energy, like a flame reignited. The fog of doubt cleared, and he realized his true potential. With newfound clarity, Hanuman turned to his comrades and declared, “I shall go. I shall leap across this ocean, as the wind itself carries me. By Rama’s grace and my love for Sita, nothing will stand in my way.”

With a mighty roar, Hanuman crouched, gathering his energy like a storm about to erupt. As he leaped, the earth beneath him trembled, and trees were uprooted by the sheer force of his takeoff. He soared into the sky like a thundercloud, his massive form cutting through the wind as if he was born to fly.

As Hanuman sailed through the sky, he remembered Jambavan’s words, "All that you seek is already within you." These words resonated deeply, not just as a reminder of his powers, but as a timeless truth for all beings. What Hanuman realized in that moment was not merely the strength to leap across oceans, but the divine potential hidden in every soul.

When we practice Hanumanasana, we can be inspired by this tale and attempt to embody Hanuman's leap of faith. Just as Hanuman was initially unsure of his ability to cross the ocean, many of us may doubt our own ability to achieve this deep stretch (and many other poses). But the story of Hanuman reminds us that everything we need is already within us. All we have to do is believe in ourselves and take the leap.

I appreciate that this pose was integrated into physical yoga in the early 1940s and was not referred to as Hanumanasana until modern-day teachers like B.K.S. Iyengar integrated it into their teachings. Perhaps that was the best way to teach students to see their vast potential. Perhaps someone like Iyengar needed to tell stories involving deities as a way to inspire students to stop second-guessing themselves. "Old school" teachers like Iyengar needed new and inventive ways for students to see the vast potential we all have. When teachers from days gone by, like Krishnamacharya, would ask a student to perform the front splits, some students may have thought, “There’s no way I can do this.” Perhaps it was explained that, just like Hanuman, we have the strength within us. It might not happen right away, but with patience and perseverance, we can achieve things we once thought were impossible. Calling it Hanumanasaa rather than the splits pose would have been more inspiring.

I paraphrase, but in the 1950s in India, a speech like this would have floored the audience:

"This leap (into splits), like Hanumanasana, represents devotion to something greater than ourselves. It reminds us that our bodies are capable of amazing things when fueled by purpose and faith."

Back to the story -

Upon landing in Lanka, it would take several long days for the noble Hanumān to locate Sita. There were many obstacles in his way, but Hanumān had an iron will and his resolve never wavered. Hanumān represents the ideal of service and devotion. He represents leonine courage, striking the whole world with awe. He was not the least bit hesitant in sacrificing his life for the good of Rāma and for the good of the world.

Finally, Hanumān found Sita. She was sat enclosed and imprisoned in the royal gardens of King Ravana's castle. She sat on the bare grounds, bound in a net of grief, the picture of shattered hope. Sita had shed so many tears she had none left, she had reached the end of her endurance and her will to live.

Hanumān approached his queen, avoiding the watch of Ravana's soldiers. Hanumān told Sita he was there to rescue her and take her back to her beloved Rāma. Sita told Hanumān that the King, Ravana, had given her 2 months to succumb to his passion or she would surely be killed. But Sita was adamant she would not leave with Hanumān, "If you rescue me O Hanumān, it would bring no credit to Rāma. It is only fitting that Rāma himself should come and rescue me and restore Dharma (righteousness)." Hanumān gave Sita the ring he had been given by Rāma and then returned back across the sea. He explained all to Rāma who was now full of hope that his beloved Sita was still alive.

Rāma, his brother Lakshman and Hanumān gathered an army of monkeys and bears and attacked Lanka, eventually killing Ravana, and rescuing Sita. After the couple's triumphant return to Ayodhya, Rāma's righteous rule (Ram-raj) inaugurated a golden age for all mankind.

"Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself". - Swami Vivekananda

The image below is excerpted from the Poses Manual that forms part of our Yoga Teacher Training program.

Zahir Akram - Eternal Seeker

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