Splits, advanced path: Hanumanasana and Samakonasana

35 min Sun Salutation × 4 Advanced 20 poses voice-guided in the app subscription

Front Splits and Side Splits, step by step

A program for people already close to the splits who want to work on both kinds, front and side (often called middle splits). Four rounds of Sun Salutation, then 20 poses, 35 minutes in all, for experienced students. At the center are Hanumanasana and Samakonasana, done only on a thoroughly warmed-up body.

If the floor is still far away, start with the Toward the Splits sequence. Front splits are contraindicated with hamstring or inner thigh injuries. Side splits are ruled out by knee, hip joint or hamstring injuries, pregnancy and the early days of menstruation.

In the app, this program comes with voice guidance and a timer in the subscription.

Sun Salutation × 4

  1. Pyramid Pose Pyramid Pose 1
  2. Standing Splits Standing Splits 2
  3. High Lunge High Lunge 3
  4. Side Lunge Side Lunge 4
  5. Goddess Pose Goddess Pose 5
  6. Low Lunge Low Lunge 6
  7. Lizard Pose Lizard Pose 7
  8. Half Splits Half Splits 8
  9. Front Splits Front Splits 9
  10. Knees-to-Chest Pose Knees-to-Chest Pose 10
  11. Gate Pose Gate Pose 11
  12. Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold 12
  13. Side Splits Side Splits 13
  14. Side Splits with Side Bend Side Splits with Side Bend 14
  15. Child's Pose Child's Pose 15
  16. Pigeon Pose (Prep) Pigeon Pose (Prep) 16
  17. Heron Pose Heron Pose 17
  18. Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Twist) Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Twist) 18
  19. Reclining Half Hero Pose Reclining Half Hero Pose 19
  20. Knees-to-Chest Pose Knees-to-Chest Pose 20
  21. Relaxation Pose Relaxation Pose 21

Why this order

Sun Salutation and standing poses warm the legs: Pyramid Pose and Standing Splits stretch the hamstrings, while the lunges and Goddess Pose prepare the hips. Then comes the front splits block: Low Lunge opens the back leg's hip, Lizard and Half Splits deepen the stretch, and it all comes together in Hanumanasana.

After a breather, the side splits block: Gate Pose, Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold, Samakonasana and its side-bend variation. At the end, Pigeon prep, Heron Pose, a twisting Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe and Reclining Half Hero pick up the remaining areas, and the last minutes are given to rest lying down.

Cautions

  • Hamstring injuries (Pyramid Pose, Half Splits, Heron Pose)
  • Hypertension — don't lower your head too far (Pyramid Pose)
  • Hypertension (Standing Splits)
  • Dizziness (Standing Splits)
  • Only with warmed-up legs (Standing Splits)
  • Balance problems — keep your hands on your hips (High Lunge)
  • Knee injuries (Side Lunge, Goddess Pose, Child's Pose, Heron Pose, Reclining Half Hero Pose)
  • If your heel won't come down — keep it lifted (Side Lunge)
  • Knee injuries — place a blanket under your back knee (Low Lunge)
  • Lower back pain — don't deepen the backbend; keep your torso upright (Low Lunge)
  • Knee injuries — rest your back knee on a blanket (Lizard Pose)
  • Hamstring and inner thigh injuries (Front Splits)
  • Only after a thorough warm-up (Front Splits)
  • Pregnancy from the second trimester onward — take your knees wider than your belly or skip the pose (Knees-to-Chest Pose)
  • Knee injuries — place a blanket under your knees (Gate Pose)
  • Inner thigh injuries (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold)
  • Herniated discs in the lower back (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold)
  • Knee, hip joint, and hamstring injuries (Side Splits, Side Splits with Side Bend)
  • Pregnancy (Side Splits, Side Splits with Side Bend)
  • First days of your period (Side Splits)
  • Pregnancy — widen your knees (Child's Pose)
  • Knee injuries — do a Supine Twist with your knee to your chest instead (Pigeon Pose (Prep))
  • Lumbar disc herniation (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Twist))
  • Lower back problems (Reclining Half Hero Pose)

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.