Hip Openers and Strengtheners

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What Does ‘Hip Opener’ Mean?

  1. Any stretch that lengthens any of the 22 muscles that cross the hip. For example, hamstring, inner thigh stretches, wide leg standing poses like warriors and lunges.

  2. Anything that stretches the hamstrings, calves, and thighs. Also strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles and stretches the back of the leg, the front thigh and groin.

But hips do not ‘open and close’ like a door. It is not about how wide we can spread our legs. Hips are ball and socket joints, which means they are able to move in a circle. So ‘opening our hips’ actually means creating mobility in all directions. Mobility is influenced by both:

  1. Flexibility of the muscles, tendons and fascia in and around the joint. Yoga poses can, to some degree, increase this.

  2. Skeletal differences. These are the non-negotiable limits to our range of motion in all poses. Bone will not move past bone, no matter how much yoga we do.

Why are tight hips so common? Partly due to our excessive sitting. Partly because our legs are always working to support our upper bodies and this constant effort can make hip muscles chronically tight.

Hips and Emotions

When the sympathetic nervous response is triggered, when we are angry, stressed, threatened, scared, or even surprised, we—often unconsciously—clench our jaw or fists and we mobilize our hips to take flight or fight. When these muscles are not then released the tension becomes habitual.

Stretching the hip muscles causes a release; and so pent-up emotions may resurface, suppressed memories may arise, unconscious tensions held may bubble up. All of which may result in emotion and even tears.

  • Maha Sacral Mudra – activates breath in the pelvis, aids in emotional processing

  • Second chakra, water element

Maha Sacral Mudra

Highly Recommended Poses

Supine

  1. 4 square stretch – can do pigeon instead

  2. Supta baddha konasana – can do seated

  3. Variations on cross twist (good for sciatica)

  4. Happy baby pose

4 Square Stretch

Supta Baddha Konasana (Seated)

Happy Baby

Prone

  1. Gentle Quad Stretch (one bent knee, lift foot

  2. Frog legs, belly rest

Frog Legs

Seated – with enough height that knees are below hip bones

  1. Cross legged, baddha konasana, firelog (can do on chair)

  2. Garland Pose (squat)

  3. Wide leg forward fold (can do supine or on wall wall)

Wide Leg Forward Fold (Seated)

Table

  1. Wide leg child pose

  2. Low lunge

Low Lunge

Standing

  1. Warrior 2

Warrior 2

End with Hip Stabilizing (to breath)

  1. Clam – 10 times each leg

  2. Bridge – lift (not roll) 10 times

Clam

Bridge