Working the Thighs for Eka Pada Actions

The ‘Eka Pada‘ actions (The front and back legs scissoring away from each other) appear time and again in Asana positions. While this action culminates in an advanced position like ‘Hanumanasana‘, the seeds are laid in the basic standing, seated, and supine positions.  ‘Eka pada‘ can involve either one leg (extending back or flexing forward) while the other leg holds steady, or it can involve both legs simultaneously moving away from each other in the sagittal plane of the body (as happens in Hanumanasana). Asana vocabulary explores all such movements.  But Eka pada actions are important not merely for executing complex Asanas, they are also important to maintain the health and mobility all along the legs, the knee and hip joints, and the groins. the separation of the front and back legs moving away from each other in the saggital plain is important to maintain the health and mobility all along the legs, the knee and hip joints, and the groins.  This has become even more relevant these days with our sedentary lifestyles and long hours of seating on chairs, as well as the popularity of physical activities such as running and bicycling, that involve repetitive short range movement of the legs. This first session in the ‘Eka Pada ‘ series gives an overview of these actions.