HAPPY HIP Tips

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Low Lunge

Come into a low lunge with right foot forward, and your back toes untucked. Reach arms up over head while you energetically press your left hipbone forward and think about pulling your right hipbone back behind you. Keep your spin lifted so you don’t dump into your right hip, with each breath think about lengthening the spin up. You can bring your hands behind your low back to your imaginary back pockets. Press lightly into your low back to lift up out of the crow of the head keep hips square. To Deepen this, grab ahold of your left wrist with your right hand , extend to the ceiling and pull it up and over to the right side while still pressing your left hipbone forward.

Lizard Lunge

Come into a low lunge with your right foot forward and left foot back. As you bring your hands to the inside of your right leg, walk your right foot to the outer edge of your mat with foot tracking on about 2 o’clock. Make sure your right knee doesn’t go over the right ankle, keep it at 90 degrees with knee stacked on top of ankle. Keep the ankle strong as you flex the right toes to your nose, rolling to the outer edge of the right foot. Let the leg fall open or give it a very gentle push by letting your right hand bring weight and let it fall open slowly. Keep energetically pulling the right hipbone back, and left pushing forward as you sink deeper into this. Stay for 10-15 breaths and repeat on the other side.

*To go deeper, drop both elbows to the ground or a block. 

If you tuck your left toes under while engaging and lifting the left knee off the ground, this will deepen the stretch. Stay for 10-15 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Double Pigeon 

-Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle so its parallel to your mat. Keep both ankles active by flexing them to protect knee joint. Bend your left knee, and stack it on top of your right. You want to try to stack the shins on top of each other. Keep both ankles active by flexing them to protect knee joint. You can walk your fingertips forward to fold over leg or keep them to the side by your hips and lift up tall. You can keep going deeper to refine the pose by energetically pressing both knees to the ground.Stay for 10-15 breaths and repeat this  position on other side. 

*A modified version can also be performed in a chair seated or on the floor. From a seated position, cross your left ankle on top of right knee, keeping left foot flexed. Sit up tall and inhale, finding length up the spine, and as you exhale, begin to lean the torso forward to deepen the stretch. 

Supine Spinal Twist w/ Figure 4 Leg Variation

This is a two in one stretch for the spine and hips. Start with both souls of the feet placed on the mat, knees are hip width distance apart. Cross your right ankle on top of your left thigh with right foot flexed. Bring your arms out to a “T” and slowly start to twist and roll to the left until your right foot meets the mat Keep energetically pressing your right knee open and forward. You can also use your right hand or a block to press leg away. Stay for 10-15 breaths and then Repeat on the other side.

or Reclined Heifer 

 (but no-one likes that name, cuzzzz it's weird)

Lie on your back and cross your knees tight together as if you were sitting “lady-like” crossed in a chair. Focusing on trying too get your heels toward opposite hips as you gently hug both your knees in towards your chest. Keep your ankles flexed, and depending on your body you will grab either knees, shins, or ankles or outer edges of feet. Stay for 10-15 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Supine Spinal Twist w/ Figure 4 Leg Variation

This stretch is way on the knees for those who have had injuries to the joint or have sensitive knees. Lie on your back and take your left ankle on top of the right knee pull the legs toward the chest and then thread your arms though the hole on each side. Interlace your hands behind your right hamstring and pull the right knee toward the chest while pressing the left knee energetically away from you. Equal and opposite energy  (push and pull). 

Seated Pigeon 

Sit in an upright position keeping your  spine flat. Bend your left  knee to a 90-degree up and over the right thigh. Keep your left foot flexed and start to walk your hands towards your body while you keep an upright and flat back. You can gently rock from side to side like your cradling a baby. Stay for 10-15 breaths and then Repeat this on the other side.

Seated Figure 4

Start with both legs out straight. Take your left leg bent to a figure four, and left ankle comes up and over your right thigh. Keep both feet flexed and you start to lean slightly forward. You can youse your left hand to press your left knee gently to the floor, or if you have the flexibility you can get heavy in your left elbow on your left knee and melt into the pose from there. Stay for 10-15 breaths and then Repeat this on the other side.