In this modern world, tight hips are one of the common issues as we devote a lot of time to sitting down. With time, your hip muscles start becoming weak and relaxed, leading to muscle tightness, less motion, and sometimes pain in your hip and back.
Doing hip-opening yoga poses not only eases the pain in your hip area but also helps relax your tight hip muscles. There are several other yoga poses for unlocking your tight hips. But before trying any of these yoga poses, you should remember that maximum hip-opening poses can develop contradiction if you have ankle, hip, lower back, and knee injuries. Even though the below-given yoga poses are easily accessible, beginner-friendly, and safe but still it’s better to check once with your doctor.
But before knowing about various yoga postures, let’s know about the advantages of hip-opening yoga postures that are an important part of any yoga regime in the yoga school in rishikesh.
- Hip opening is important for all kinds of yoga practice
- Yoga poses for hip opening help enhance circulation, movement, and flexibility in your back, hips, and legs.
- These yoga poses are good for enhancing your posture and strengthening your balance.
- It decreases stress, promotes mental health and overall wellness
- Hip opening yoga poses decrease the injury risk, especially in your lower back, by enhancing flexibility
- They are one of the best complements to other exercises like running, aerobics, cycling, and dance.
- With proper hip flexibility, you get a good alignment for performing several yoga postures.
Now seven basic hip-opening yoga poses to unlock the tight hips that you can learn in a 500 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh.
- Malasana or yogi squat
It is a moderate-level hip-opening yoga pose that targets your inner thighs.
How to do?
In the standing position, take your toes out at an angle of 45 degrees, bringing your heels towards each other. Position your hands in a prayer position and squat down while keeping your elbows inside your inner knees. Now put your elbows into your knees to lengthen your spine. You can also sway side to side or hold on still. If this becomes intense, you can keep a block or fold your towel below your sacrum to prop you up. Hold on to this for about 30 seconds.
1.Reclined bound angle pose: This moderate-level hip opening yoga pose targets your inner thighs.
How to do?
Lie on your mat, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring the soles of the feet together and allow your knees to fall out towards the side. Keep one hand on your heart and the other one in your belly. Keep your eyes closed and take deep breaths. Hold on to this position for about 30 seconds. If you feel it is very intense for your inner thighs, you can keep two blocks or rolled-up towels under your knees to bring the earth close to you.
- Frog pose
This is an intense level hip-opening yoga pose that targets your inner thigh.
How to do?
Go down on all of your fours, keeping your palms on the floor and your knees on the mat or blanket. Gradually expand your knees till you get a comfortable stretch in the inner thighs while keeping the interior part of your calf and foot in touch with the floor. Ensure that you have kept your ankles in alignment with your knees. Go down to your forearms. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds. If you feel this is intense yoga, you can do it with one leg at once.
- Supine figure four
It is a gentle pose that targets your outer thighs. It is one of the best poses for unlocking your tight hips.
How to do?
Lie down, keeping your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your left ankle below your right knee, making a four shape using your left leg. Stay in this position, or to get more stretch, you can drift your left arm through the opening you have made using the left leg and then fasten your hands behind the right knee. Now lift off your right foot from the floor and pull in your right knee towards the chest, keeping your left foot flexible. Hold on for 30 seconds, and then repeat this on your opposite side.
2.Double pigeon: This is an intense, hip-opening yoga pose that specifically targets your outer thighs.
How to do?
Sit on the floor, keeping your knees bent and your shins loaded with your right leg on top. Use your hands to position your right ankle over the left knee. Generally, the right knee can rest on your right thigh, but when your hips are very tight, your right knee will point in the direction of the ceiling. So, keep your hips sharpened towards the front of the room, center at your hips, and then gradually take your hands in the forward direction. If this becomes enough stretch, hold on here and fold your torso over the thighs to go deeper. Hold on for at least 30 seconds, then repeat this on your opposite side.
3.Crescent Lunge: This targets your hip flexors and helps unlock your tight hips. This is a moderate-level hip-opening yoga pose.
How to do?
Start this yoga pose in a low lunge. Keep your back leg straight while coming to the ball of your back foot. Take your hands high, keeping your pinkies little in. Hold on for about 30 seconds, and then repeat this on your opposite side.
4.Dancer’s pose: This is an intense level yoga pose that helps open your tight hips. This targets your hip flexors. Not only that, but it also opens up your chest and your shoulders and enhances your balance.
How to do?
First, stand on one foot, then lift and bend your other into a hamstring curl. Grasp your raised foot from inside with the same side hand. Center forward while pressing your foot top strongly into your palm and then lift it. The higher your lift, the more deep stretch you will feel.
Conclusion
Hip-opening yoga poses are an important part of yoga practices. Even if they have several benefits, they are still challenging and uncomfortable to practice, mainly for beginners. These poses are not only good for physical health but also encourage emotional release and relief from stress. By doing the poses rightly, you can easily conquer these challenging poses and reap all benefits.
