‘Lifeloveandhorses’ blog is about “optimizing health, happiness, and peace” for my horses and myself. Yoga is a good form of exercise to increase strength, stamina, balance and flexibility.
Anjaneya
= praise (from root anj meaning honor)
Pronounced: (AHN-jah-nay-ah-sa–na)
Anajaneya pose is a type of lunge that stretches the hip flexor muscles, such as the psoas. The pose is similar to a “runner’s stretch”.
The psoas enable riders to influence their horses with their seats and legs. By mastering the use of these muscles, riders will be able to maintain self carriage, both on and off the horse.
– Tom Nagel, author of “Zen & Horseback Riding“
Hip muscles
The psoas is the only muscle in the body that connects the legs to the spine. One action of the psoas is flexing the thighs at the hip enabling us to raise our knees. It assists in thigh rotation and adduction, helps to stabilize the pelvis, move the lower back, and links by connective tissue to the diaphragm.
The iliacus is another hip flexor that connects the legs to the pelvis. It joins into the thigh bones with the same tendon as the psoas muscle and often called the iliopsoas together.
These hip flexor muscles lie deep in the body behind the abdominal and pelvic organs.
Stretching the hip flexors is important for horseback riders, as well as for runners.
Yoga instructor Sage Roundtree describes a Low Lunge exercise.
This is an interesting interactive tool for learning about the human anatomy.
http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/menu/menu.html