Three yoga moves for happy hips

Open up

Everyone loves open hips. They're the transfer point between the upper and lower body and a lot of stress gets stored there. Your hips tighten up because we use them a lot when exercising, and more often because we sit way too much.

Here's a little sequence from my new Earth, Body Yoga video to bring some joy to your stride.

Link all three poses together in a flow and hold each pose for about a minute.

1. I.T. love

This one is great for the I.T. band and the muscles on the side of the hip. It’s unique to Blissology Yoga so you may have never seen it before, but you won’t forget it! 

From downward dog, step the right foot to the outside of the left hand so it crosses the body. Roll the right thigh outwards so the toes point to the right. Keep just the little-toe side of the right foot on the floor and spread out through the toes. This is point A. Point B is the right sit bone at the bottom of the pelvis. With the toes very active, pull the right sit bone down, back and in toward the mid-line.

Breathe into the outer hip and I.T. band and savour.

2. Ardha matsendrasana

Known as a half spinal twist, when this one is done right it's all about the outer hips and not just spinal mobility.

Bend the left leg so the left heel is beside the right hip. Then take the right foot up and over the bent left knee. Ideally the right knee points straight upwards. On an inhalation get long through the torso and on the exhalation bring the left elbow around the top right knee. To get deeper into the outer hips, the key is to keep pressing the right knee across the body and as the right sit bone pulls down and away.

3. Gomukhasana

This pose is also known as cow face pose. Keep the left leg where it is, bent with the left heel beside the right hip. Stack the right knee over the left. Lift the hips off the floor to stack the knees, and when you place the pelvis back down move it three or four inches to the left. On an inhalation press the hips down and lengthen the spine. As you exhale fold forward from the hips. Breathe right into the hips finding a perfect balance of relaxation with intensity. 

This should provide some relief for the right hip so be sure to repeat on the other side. 

Download the full routine here. For more from Eoin Finn click here.