Have you been doing your “Kitchen Sink Yoga” or “6-Minutes of Yoga For Stiff Bodies“? Well here is another pose to add to your repertoire.
The big muscles on your outer hip called the external rotators can tend to get tight. Use this stretch to target them at work, home, or virtually anywhere to help relieve the tension that comes from a sedentary life.
Holding on to a table, counter, or the sink bend your knees and cross your shin over your opposite thigh. Flex your foot to protect your knee.
Press down into the table with your hands to keep your deep core engaged. Lean forward until you feel sensation that you can sustain and breathe into. Create the action of pulling your knees away from each other to target stretch. Hold for 30-45 seconds and repeat on the second side.
As you open you will be able to walk further from the table and increase the forward bend as I show in the second photo.
If you need to modify, you can do this seated in a chair, or rest your shin on a low table or bed.
Be mindful that you keep your ankle joint square by keeping your foot flexed, pressing out through the ball of the big toe, and down on the little toe side of the foot.
In my experience, versions like this of “standing pigeon” can be more effective than the traditional pose on the floor. Happy Hip Stretching!
P.S. If you would like a whole class of hip openers like this that leads to the arm balance, flying pigeon, check out my class on YogaVibes.
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