Top 5 Yoga Postures for Hips, From Yogi Alex Roberts
Alex Roberts offers five yoga poses aimed at enhancing hip happiness. These postures strengthen stabilizing muscles and, with Alex’s precise guidance, are easy and beneficial for students.
People endorse hip-opening exercises for their positive influence on the mind-body relationship. Psychology Today suggests that our bodies can harbor unexpressed emotions, with hip tension often being a stress manifestation. Holistic practitioners who acknowledge emotional stress storage in the hips share this view.
Caring for your hips and investing in their health can significantly impact your overall wellness. By trying Alex Roberts’ top five yoga postures for happy hips, you’ll experience rejuvenation and self-care even before saying “namaste.”
5. Triangle Pose aka Trikonasana
The Triangle pose, an excellent yoga posture for hips, suits both beginners and experienced yogis. Included in the 26-posture regime of Bikram (hot) yoga, it’s a powerful “master pose”. This pose strengthens the body while enhancing flexibility.
Alex instructs on the pose: “The Triangle posture combines effort and relaxation to uplift your mood and relax tight hips. Ensure stability by grounding your feet and engaging strong leg muscles. Pivot your hips sideways and form a diagonal line from your head to your back foot’s heel. Use your core and obliques to maintain a long, comfortable spine. Focus on your breath, keep it steady, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Avoid pain in your knee, outer hip, or lower back.”
Do You Yoga highlights the extensive benefits of this pose. From legs, knees, and ankles to chest and arms, it’s the perfect blend of stretching, opening, elongating, and challenging the body. It’s excellent for stress relief and strengthens your core. Besides, it offers your spine a healthy stretch, leading to physical and emotional alignment.
4. Wide Leg Forward Fold aka Prasarita Padottanasana
Yoga Journal states that the ultimate aim is to deeply stretch the hamstrings without straining the back. Regular practice can also enhance bodily awareness to prevent future back injuries.
Alex explains, “This pose lengthens hamstrings and inner thigh muscles while balancing back stretching and strengthening. Press the balls of your feet and engage strong leg muscles. Extend your elbows wide and draw shoulder blades towards your butt. Then, push your shoulder blades into your back. Visualize a coat hanger in your shirt, ensuring a broad upper body and a long neck. Prioritize a long spine over straight legs. If needed, bend your knees.”
While it appears like you’re bending in half, concentrate on the lengthening sensation in your body and neck for maximum benefit.
3. Revolved Lizard
These twists can refresh your spine like a glass of water and potentially unlock your rigid hips. Each side may feel different, and warming up lets you go deeper. However, don’t rush. Yoga encourages embracing your body’s current state and tuning in to what feels right.
Alex suggests, “The Revolved Lizard counteracts daily sitting by lengthening hip flexors, opening the chest, and twisting the spine. Position your front foot wider than hip-width, allowing both hands to be inside your foot. Reach back and carefully hold the back foot with the opposite hand. Your upper body twists, not your hips. Visualize performing a side plank with your chest. Lift your chest off the bottom arm bone, turning towards the front leg. Ensure you pull your back leg’s heel directly towards the buttock, avoiding twisting your back knee.”
2. Shoe Lace Posture
Remember, when dealing with our bodies, gradual progress is best. Ensure proper alignment and observe how sensations change as muscles warm up. Your role is to observe, breathe, and develop patience and compassion.
Alex says, “The Shoe Lace posture stretches outer hips and facilitates a roomy environment for your back. Wrap your thighs at the knee, bringing heels close to outer hips as comfortable. Use a block, blanket, or pillow under your hips if needed. Sit tall or bow forward while keeping a long spine.
“A balanced hip-to-lower back relationship involves balanced tissues around them. Use these four poses to explore your hips and their relation to your lower back. Observe tight or loose areas, emotional feelings, and your breathing pattern. Practice compassionate and honest observation, free from judgment or control. Explore, moving slowly and gently, then ‘arrive’ in each posture.”
1. Daily Gratitude Practice
Remember, wellness is a lifestyle. You can embrace the yogi mindset anytime by dedicating a few minutes daily. Enthusiastic yogis relish the grounded clarity yoga offers. The power of your intention to incorporate a “yoga mindset” daily is significant.
Alex shares some tips: “Allocate time to appreciate simple blessings in your life. Allow these thoughts to evoke feelings, spreading throughout your body. Embracing gratitude can be learned. By consciously practicing positive emotions, you may become more open to them throughout the day. ‘Namaste,’ where ‘Names’ means ‘to bow’ or ‘adore’ and ‘Te’ means ‘you,’ signifies mutual respect. Thank you. Namaste.”
*All photos by Amy Goalen Photography
Did these yoga postures for hips open you up? What are some other types of yoga poses you’d like to learn more about?
