I've been looking at the splits this week. It's nice to practice when it's warm and a fun pose to try.
If you're interested I made a little reel on instagram
When I googled a 'leap of faith' it turns out in the west it's traced back to a Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who came up with this expression as a metaphor for religious belief in God. He argued that God was spiritual rather than physical and was completely separate from the material world of man.
In the Indian tradition there's an interesting mythological story around the same idea.
The splits is called Hanumanasana after mythological monkey character Hanuman, who was the son of Vayu and Anjana. Anjaneyasana, or crescent moon pose, is a prep pose for the splits, so these poses are related too.
As with lots of mythological stories this has a lovely romantic side to it. Hanuman is devoted to Rama and the pose is linked to the story in one of Hindu's great epics The Ramayana, where Hanuman leaps to rescue Queen Sita to reunite her with her beloved Rama. Hanuman is a super hero monkey, who is strong, brave and devoted.
Here's a link if you want to read more
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-mythology-behind-hanumanasana
When we practice the splits it requires a similar sense of adventure and bravery, you could say devotion even if you're not naturally blessed with flexibility.
It's also worth a thought as to how many times in our lives have we had to face situations where a leap of faith is required; to maybe believe or trust something which isn't material, going with your instinct, gut, senses and feelings. I know I can think of a few times myself. It's a pretty good ideology, even if you can't slide into full splits.
Of course, it's not always that simple but good to have this in our tool box for life.
To throw caution to the wind and use the power and energy behind you. As the story of Hanuman goes, leaving one leg behind to take a giant step forward with an open and grateful heart. It's a bloody good stretch too!
Namaste.
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