Flexibility is the key to maintain a healthy life and to avoid any injuries. The stretching you do in yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility. It’s a commonly held misconception that you have to already be flexible to do yoga. In fact, the opposite is true: doing yoga regularly is a sure way to increase your flexibility.
1. Triangle pose
Triangle pose
For this pose, straighten your front leg as much as possible, even if it means your hand can’t reach the floor. Use a yoga block under your bottom hand if you have one. It’s better to put pressure on the block than into your leg by leaning on it. Over time, use your developing core strength to take some of the weight out of your hand.
2. Eye of the needle
Eye of the needle pose
Eye of the needle is a great pose for people with tight hips because it’s very customizable. Start just by crossing one ankle onto the opposite thigh. This might be enough for some people. If you want to go further, lift the bottom leg off the ground incrementally. Stop when you find the place where you feel a good stretch but you’re not in pain.
3. Pigeon
Pigeon pose
Pigeon is an amazing hip opener, but it can be a tough one for people with very tight hips. From all fours, bring your right knee forward towards your right wrist. Depending on your body it may be just behind your wrist or to the outer or the inner edge of it. Experiment with what feels right for you, giving you a stretch on your outer hip without any discomfort in your knee. Your right ankle will be somewhere in front of your left hip. Slide your left leg back and point your toes, your heel is pointing up to the ceiling.Scissor your hips together, by drawing your legs in towards each other. Use some support under your right buttock if needed, to keep your hips level. As you inhale, come onto your fingertips, lengthen your spine, draw your navel in and open your chest. As you exhale, walk your hands forward and lower your upper body towards the floor. You can rest your forearms and forehead on the mat. Stay for 5 breaths or longer. On each exhalation, try to release the tension in your right hip.To come out of the pose, push back through the hands, lift your hips and move your leg back into all fours. Repeat on the other side.
4. Bridge pose
Bridge pose
The way to get a good shoulder stretch in bridge pose is to make sure to tuck each shoulder under after you have lifted your hips up. If the back-bending aspect of the pose seems too intense, you can get a similar stretch in a supported bridge by doing the same shoulder-tucking action and interlacing your fingers around the block.
5. Cow face pose
Cow face pose
Don’t worry if you can’t clasp your hands behind your back in cow face pose. It’s really not about that, so use anything handy (belt, strap, towel, t-shirt) to make up the distance between the hands. Try to send your breath into any areas of tightness you feel.
6. Reclined Big Toe Pose
Reclined big toe pose
Using a yoga strap around your raised foot makes this pose accessible to even those with the tightest hamstrings (you can also use a regular old belt if you don’t have a strap handy). Let the head of your femur settle into the hip socket as you stretch the leg so that both hips stay grounded on the floor.