At the beginning of my yoga classes, I always ask my students if there are any areas of their body that need extra attention and without a doubt, the top two answers are always hips and hamstrings. Many of my students run [1] and lift heavy [2], or they sit at a desk all day, so I designed this sequence you can do anywhere to open tight hips and increase flexibility in the backs of the legs. I recommend doing this sequence a few times a week, either after you exercise, after an evening bath, or before slipping into bed.
Wide Squat
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than the hips.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips down toward the ground. If your heels don't touch the ground, roll up a towel or the back of your mat and place it under your heels for support. Also, widening your stance might make this pose feel easier.
- Rest your hands on the floor for support or bring your palms together at your heart center and firmly press your elbows against the inside of your knees. This will help to open your hips even further.
- Work on shifting weight into your heels and lengthening the crown of your head up toward the ceiling.
- Hold this pose for five deep breaths.
Standing Forward Bend Clasped Elbows
- From Wide Squat, press your hands into the floor to straighten your legs, coming into a standing forward bend.
- Bend the arms and take hold of opposite elbows.
- Keep your weight pressing forward into the toes as you enjoy this stretch for five breaths.
Downward Facing Dog
- From Standing Forward Bend Clasped Elbows, place the hands at the front of the mat and walk the feet back, coming into the classic upside-down-V shape called Downward Facing Dog.
- Focus on straightening the legs and pressing the heels toward the floor to increase the stretch in the backs of the legs.
- Stay in Down Dog for five deep breaths.
Tip-Toe Three-Legged Dog
- From Down Dog, inhale to step the feet together so your big toes are touching, and raise your right leg into the air, rising up onto the left toes.
- Hold here for five breaths.
Half Moon
- From Tip-Toe Three-Legged Dog, step your lifted foot in between your hands. Plant your right palm 12 or so inches in front of your right foot.
- Shift weight into your right foot and lift your left foot up, extending through the spine.
- Distribute your weight evenly between your right hand and foot. Lift your left arm up and gaze toward your left hand.
- Hold for five breaths.
Twisting Lizard
- From Half Moon, lower your left hand to the floor and extend your left leg back, coming into a low lunge.
- Plant your left hand underneath your shoulder and raise your right arm into the air, twisting to the right, gazing behind you.
- Hold for five breaths.
Side Lunge
- From Twisting Lizard, lower your right hand and turn your torso to the left. Turn your right toes 90 degrees to the left, so you're in a Side Lunge.
- Bring the hands together in front of the chest or lower the hands to the floor for support, enjoying this deep hip, hamstring, and inner thigh stretch.
Low Crescent Lunge
- From Side Lunge, exhale to plant the palms at the front of the mat, lowering the left knee.
- Inhale to raise the arms up, sinking the pelvis toward the floor to intensify the stretch in the hips.
Lifted Head to Knee
- From Low Crescent Lunge, exhale to shift your weight back, straightening the right leg and folding forward with both feet flexed.
- Work your way back to Down Dog and repeat the last six poses on the other side.
Butterfly
- After completing Lifted Head to Knee on the second side, sit on the floor, bringing the soles of the feet together.
- Sit with a tall spine, and fold forward to increase the intensity.
- Enjoy this hip-opening stretch for five breaths.
Double Pigeon
- From Butterfly, bend your left knee and place it on top of your right leg so your knees, shins, and ankles are stacked. Keeping the shins parallel, flex the feet to feel a stretch in the calves.
- Press your fingertips into the floor behind your pelvis, or to make this pose more intense, place your hands in front of your shins and walk them out as far as you can, folding your chest over your legs.
- Enjoy this stretch for five breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Seated Straddle
- From Double Pigeon, extend the legs out into a wide Straddle.
- Inhale to lengthen your spine, and exhale to slowly fold forward as far as you can with a flat back, making sure your toes and knees are pointing straight up.
- Rest your hands on your feet, your legs, or the floor in front of you.
- Hold for five breaths.
Head to Knee
- From Seated Straddle, bend the left knee.
- Fold over your right leg. Rest your hands on the floor on either side of your leg or on your shin, or wrap your hands around your right foot.
- Stay here for five breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Happy Baby
- From Head to Knee, roll over and lie on your back.
- Bend both knees and hold onto the outside edges of your flexed feet with your hands. Keep your arms on the outsides of your legs.
- Gently use your upper-body strength to equally press both knees to the floor below your armpits.
- Stay like this for five breaths.
Spinal Twist
- From Happy Baby, hug the knees into chest.
- Extend your arms out in T position and slowly lower both knees to the left, turning your head to the right.
- Hold here for at least five breaths, feeling your spine lengthen and twist.
- Use your abs to lift your knees back to center and lower them to the other side.
Savasana
- Stay on your back, and close your eyes. In order to relax and open your body fully, extend your arms a few inches away from the body, with your palms facing up.
- Bring about 15 to 20 inches between your feet, allowing your feet to fall open with your toes pointing out. Actively shrug your shoulders and shoulder blades down toward your hips. Lengthen through your spine as much as possible, and try to press the small of your back into the floor.
- After you've found a comfortable position, enjoy the stillness for five to 10 minutes.