The asana is entered from a lunge, with the back knee lowered to the ground, the back arched and the arms raised and stretched over the head. The toes of the back foot are pointed back, the top of the foot on the floor, though in other styles such as Sivananda Yoga the toes are tucked under. The front foot remains in standing position, the hips lowered close to the front foot and the front knee fully bent and pointing forwards.

The palms are placed under the shoulders, pushing down until the hips lift slightly. The backs of the feet rest on the ground, the legs outstretched; the gaze is directed forwards, giving the preparatory pose. For the full pose, the back is arched until the arms are straight, and the gaze is directed straight upwards or a little backwards. The legs remain on the ground, unlike in the similar Upward Dog pose

While opening the hips and lengthening the spine, the asana's relative ease on the knees makes it easier than siddhasana or padmasana for people with physical difficulties.

Side splits (commonly referred to as splits or the splits).
Also in yoga as an exercise, where a front split is named Hanumanasana and a side split is named Samakonasana.When executing a split, the lines defined by the inner thighs of the legs form an angle of approximately 180 degrees.

Starting from sitting in Dandasana, one knee is bent, keeping the knee on the floor, so the foot is just in front of the groin, and the other leg is taken straight back. For the completed pose bend the knee of the rear leg, and grasp the foot or ankle with one or both hands.

For Virabhadrasana II, starting from Tadasana, the feet are spread wide, the front foot is turned fully out, and the back foot is turned in very slightly. The body remains facing forwards, so the hips remain in line with the feet, the body sinks down into a lunge until the front knee is bent at a right angle, and the arms are extended fully with the palms down, at shoulder level. The gaze is directed straight forward over the front hand.