Yoga Flexibility in the Knees, Ankles & Hips
Dear Yoga Students,
I’m going to give you the straight facts about
fixing your tight hips fast.
As a yoga teacher, I can tell you that there are
3 poses that everyone wants to learn as soon
as possible: full lotus, headstand, and crane
pose (bakasana).
Of these three, full lotus is probably the most
challenging—but it’s well worth the effort.
The Hathapradipika says “there is no asana like
padmasana (full lotus).” So there you go!
If you want to see an extreme full lotus in action,
check out this guy!
http://www.geocities.com/sarabhanga/Padmasana.jpg
(that was a joke… in case you were wondering)
TOO MUCH DESK TIME?
Ask any non-yogi office worker to sit down on the
floor and cross his legs, and 9 out of 10 times, his
knees will be way off the floor and his back will be
hunched up like Quasimodo.
Anatomically speaking, there’s a lot going on here,
but on a basic level, the dude’s got tight hips.
YOGA NOT WORKING?
If your hips are really tight (i.e. you have nightmares
about squat toilets), your average yoga class will only
help you make small gains… say 10-20% per year.
In order to double or even triple your progress, keep
going to class (this is essential), but take ten minutes
each day and practice the postures listed below.
BUTTERFLY (a.k.a baddha konasana)
1 - Sit on the floor
2 - Bend your knees
3 – Bring the soles of your feet together
4 – Pull your feet as close to your crotch as possible
5 – Fold forward and place your finger tips on the floor
6 – Walk your fingertips forward until you can’t fold any further
7 – RELAX everything (legs, back, neck, head, arms)
8 – Breath normally for 3-5 minutes
Looks like this:
http://de.ashtangayoga.info/asana-vinyasa/primary-series/24a-Baddha-Konasana-A.jpg
(but stretch your arms forward… and relax!)
THE LUNGE (a.k.a. ouch!)
1 – Take Downward Dog
2 – Step your right foot between your hands
3 – Drop your left knee to the floor
4 – Push your right foot forward until the right ankle
is underneath OR in front of the right knee
5 – Bring both hands onto the floor inside of the leg
6 – If it’s comfortable, drop down onto your elbows (if not, don’t!)
7 – RELAX everything (legs, back, neck, head, arms)
8 – Breath normally for 3-5 minutes
9 – Repeat on the other side
Like this guy:
http://www.stadion.com/gif/Lunge2.jpg
(but put your hands or elbows down, take your shoes off…
and relax!)
I used to be the guy who sat like Quasimodo, but now
I can comfortably take full lotus for an hour or more at
a time, and it was primarily these two poses that opened
me up.
If you do these postures as I’ve described, you’ll be blown
away with the results!
A Couple of Tips:
- Don’t push or use force… relax completely!
- Practice these stretches 6 days per week (consistency is essential)
- Breath normally
A BIT OF ANATOMY
The two big muscles that are often blamed for tight hips
(though they’re not the only culprits) are the iliacus and
the psoas—sometimes called the hip flexors or iliopsoas.
These tough tissues enable us to lift our legs when we’re
lying on our back, or lift up our torso in a sit-up.
The iliacus originates on the inner bowl of the pelvis, the
psoas (the weird one) on the lumbar spine. Both cross the
floor of the pelvis, the outer edges of the pubic bones, and
insert on the inner upper femur (thighbone).
NOT MAKING ANY SENSE?
Basically, you’ve got this big bundle of muscle/tissue that starts
at your lower back, extends over your pelvis, and finally connects
to your legs. If this tissue gets tight and shortened, you can’t do
lotus (or a bunch of other poses either).
Thanks for reading!
Keep practicing,
Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
p.s. Email from Stephanie in Australia:
“I have been taking YOGABODY for a week now and have
noticed amazing results in helping me ‘get bendy!’ Within
a matter of days I have noticed improvement in all my postures
but most exciting for me is I am able to touch my toes and keep
my knee locked!”
Listen, this stuff works. http://www.yogabodynaturals.com
Yoga Stretching Exercises for Improving Flexibility
Tags: yoga, stretching exercises, yoga postures, yoga poses, flexibility exercises, yoga knees, hips, ankles