These delicious poses will help you release tension and increase flexibility in the lower body, particularly the hips, hamstrings and lower back.
They are all done seated or reclined (except a transition through downward dog which can be skipped).
No props are needed, but you can absolutely use any that make you feel comfortable.
Hold each of these poses for 10 deep breaths.
1. Half Happy Baby – Lay down on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Windshield wiper your knees side to side a few times. Then hug the right knee into the chest, and extend the left leg out long. Stay here or grab the big toe with two peace fingers. Kicking heel up. Stacking ankle over knee. Use the elbow to push the knee open. Use the left hand to guide the left hip down. Keep left foot flexed. Play with bending and straightening the right leg.
2. Reclined Pigeon – Bend the left knee and bring the foot to the ground. Cross the right ankle over the left knee. Reach the arms through to pull the left thigh in. Keep the upper body relaxed. Gently inviting the right hip to release more.
Repeat 1-2 through on the other side.
3. Butterfly Fold – Come to a seat. Bring the soles of the feet together and knees apart. Choose how far or close to have the heels. Passively fold down, letting gravity do the work. Tuck the chin to the chest.
4. Deer Pose – Lift upper body. Keep the right leg where it is. Bring the left leg back behind you, finding two 90 degree angles. Left knee in line with hip, and left ankle in line with knee. Bring the hands back behind you at a 45 degree angle. Focus on the internal rotation in left hip and left leg.
5. Head to Knee – Walk the hands in and straighten the right leg forward. Bring the left foot in behind the seat. Open the knees away from one another. If you have sensitive knees you can bring the left foot inside the right thigh in more traditional variation. Rotate towards the right leg. Passively fold forward towards the knee.
Repeat 4 and 5 on other side.
6. Low Lunge – Come to table top. Step the right foot between the hands at the top of the mat. Keep knee over ankle. Melt the hips down. To intensify bring hands to the thigh. Let gravity pull you down with every exhale. Sliding shoulders down the back.
7. Pigeon Pose – Come to down dog if you like. Bring right knee behind right wrist. Extending the left leg back behind you. Inhale to find a little backbend. Then melt down.
Repeat 6 and 7 on other side.
These 7 poses come from a 35 minute slow flow deep stretch that I recently shared on both YouTube and within my Yoga with Kassandra app.
Check it out and practice with me here …
Kassandra
