Do you have very tight hips? If you do, you will notice the tightness right away especially when you move into some of these hip-opening yoga poses. Be gentle with yourself and don't push too hard. Your body will let you know when you've reached the right point in your stretch.
1. Yogi Squat / Malasana
When I first started this yogi journey, I couldn't even do this squat with my heels on the floor. I have continually opened up my hips and now I can do this with some comfort, while before it was 100% discomfort.
Yogi squat/ Malasana will open up your tight hip flexors. This pose will also increase flexibility and range of motion in your knee joint. This pose will also strengthen your lower body, such as abs, calf muscles and your pelvic floor muscles.
1. Begin in with your toes pointed out about mat width length apart.
2. Squat down with your feet firmly planted and bring hands to your heart.
3. You can modify with a blanket, bolster or block under the hips.
4. You can stay in this position for as long as you can or incorporate a moving flow by squatting up and down in the yogi squat.
5. Release by either returning to stand or drop the hips down to the floor.
Practicing this squat as often as possible will really help open up your hips and tight hip flexors.
2. Chair Pose / Utkatasana
Chair pose is another pose that will open up tight hip flexors. Utkatasana / chair pose builds strength in your glutes, thighs, around knees and ankles, and engages your core.
This pose translates from the Sanskrit name Utkatasana as "fierce seat" or "powerful pose". This pose is not considered easy and requires you to unite many large muscles and limbs of the body with the core. You will be finding your seat of power within your pelvis.
1. Begin standing in Tadasana / mountain pose. Inhale the arms up with biceps in front of your ears. Arms are parallel, palms facing each other.
2.Exhale and squat down so thighs are parallel to the floor. You want your front torso to form a right angle with the tops of your thighs.
3. Keep your spine straight, draw your shoulder blades together.
4. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds - one minute. Straighten up with an inhalation, arms up. Exhale and release back into Tadasana / mountain pose.
Enjoy not only the release of tight hip flexors, but overall unification of the body with chair pose.
3. Goddess Pose / Utkata Konasana
Goddess pose builds strength, mobility and flexibility in the hips and legs. It is an empowering pose that helps to ground and center your practice.
Goddess pose will improve your balance and coordination. It strengthens legs, glutes, pelvic floor, core and shoulders. Goddess pose improves blood flow and stimulates digestion.
1. Turn to face the long side of your mat. Spread your feet a little further than hip-width distance apart. Turn the toes to a 45-degree angle and root your feet to the ground.
2. Exhale and squat, bending at the knee. Do not bend at the hips. Keep your chest tall and your back in a neutral position.
3. Lift arms up and cactus the arms, fingers pointed to the sky. Breath for 3-5 breaths in the pose. Sink deeper.
4. When you are ready, come up out of the pose to return to the starting position.
Modifications: You can use a wall or chair for support. Simply use the wall behind your back as you sink in to the squat for support. Similarly, you can place blankets or a bolster on a chair and squat down towards the chair for support.
Goddess pose can help you connect to your inner divine energy, which will help provide balance in your life.
4. Cow Face Pose / Gomukhasana
Cow Face pose stretches many parts of your body, the hips, ankles, shoulders, arms, and chest. It is a calming and centering pose that corrects your posture by counteracting the slump.
You will definitely love this stretch in your hip flexors. Each side might feel different, take notice of where you can identify any differences between the two sides of your body.
1. From a seated position, slide your knees towards your center line. You will stack the right knee over the left. The knees will be stacked on each other.
2. Bring your left arm toward the ceiling and bend the elbow, bringing the left hand to the base of your neck. Lift right arm up the back the opposite way, hands reaching for each other.
3. Release the bind in the arms, then slowly uncross the legs. Repeat the steps for the opposite sides.
Modifications: If you cannot clasp your hands behind your back, you can use a strap to help deepen the stretch. An alternative pose to do with your arms is to come into Eagle Arms pose. You can also deepen the pose and the stretch in the hip by folding forward over your legs.
Cow pose might help you release emotions, because we store emotions and emotional trauma in the hips. If you feel a sudden release of emotion after practicing these hip-opening stretches, that is completely common.
5. Frog Pose / Mandukasana
Frog pose is a hip opener for sure! This can be an intense pose for some. Focus on your breathing and bring awareness there.
Frog pose will go deep into your hip flexors and abductors and might be intense. You can determine how deep your own body is ready to go into this stretch. Because frog pose is also considered an inversion pose, it can help you achieve calm.
1. Start in tabletop position. Shoulders stacked over the wrist and knees stacked under the hips.
2. Widen the distance between the knees as far as you can. Knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and the inner arches of the feet should be touching the mat with toes pointed away from the body.
3. Bring forearms down, with elbows shoulder width distance apart. Fingers spreading wide. Lengthen the spine and reach the crown of your head forward, tailbone back.
4. Bring your belly to your spine, engaging the core. Soften torso down, keeping hips back and down. Come out of this pose gently, with care. Place palms on the ground, and walk them back towards the hips and bring the knees together and come to a seat.
Modifications: Add padding underneath the knees to make sure your knees are not in pain. You can also use a yoga block to rest your head on. Another option is to come into only half frog pose at a time.
6. Childs Pose / Balasana
Childs pose is one of my favorite poses and it is a hip-opening yoga pose. To use child's pose as a hip-opening pose, you will focus on stretching the spine in two directions, sending the hips back. You can add intensity to the stretch by coming up on your fingerprints.
Child's pose calms and sooths the brain. This hip-opening yoga pose is a therapeutic yoga pose that relieves stress. This pose is often used as a rest break between poses or if you get out of breath. Practice child's pose today to welcome serenity into your life.
1. Start in tabletop position. Shoulders stacked over the wrist and knees stacked under the hips. Slow the thoughts down and focus on your breath.
2. Spread the knees out and bring big toes to touch. Rest your bottom down on your heels.
3. Sit up tall and fold forward between the thighs. Forehead to mat, arms extended long in front of you.
4. Broaden through the upper back, allow all tension to drain away. Close your eyes and focus on your breath.
5. Come out of the pose and walk your torso up with your hands, come back into a seat.
Modifications: Keep knees together and fold over legs if you have tight hips. You can use blankets or bolsters to provide extra cushion or padding between your calves and thighs. You can also rest on a support with your forehead. For a more restorative option, keep your arms along your sides with the palms face-up.
If you have a yoga practice already, you will probably be comfortable and used to using child's pose often. Now you know that while you relax into this pose, you are also opening up your hips.
7. Lizard Pose / Utthan Pristhasana
Lizard pose is sometimes also called Gecko pose. This pose definitely opens up your hips. The Sanskrit Utthan means to stretch out, while Pristha means "page of a book", and Asana means "pose". This pose directly stretches the hips, groin and inner hamstrings.
Lizard pose also benefits your mental health by reducing stress, improving focus, energizing creativity and releasing emotion. Lizard pose is also recommended for those experiencing reproductive health issues.
1. Begin in downward-facing dog pose. Inhale and as you exhale step your right foot forward to the outside of your right hand.
2. Your toes should be in line with your fingers. Your right knee is bent at a 90 degree angle and toes are pointed out 45 degrees.
3. Exhale, and press down into your left heel. Keep hips active and lifted. Lean forward onto the forearms to deepen the stretch. Breath for at least five deep breaths in this pose.
3. Exhale for a final time, and straighten the arms, inhale and step back into downward dog.
4. Repeat all the steps for your left side. Keep in mind that both sides of your body will be different. Breath in and take notice of the differences as you stretch.
Modifications: Be aware of your own body. Don't push past a point of comfort to avoid causing injury. The best way is to stay consistent and practice daily, then you will start seeing the changes in your flexibility and the improvements you are making. You can bring your knee to the mat on the back leg as a modification, use blocks for support under the forearms. You can also stay upright in the pose, not folding forward and down.
Practice this pose often to see a change in your hip mobility and flexibility. You can also intensify this stretch by rolling onto the outer edge of the forward foot, and reaching back to grab the other foot with the opposite hand.
