Hip Openers

Benefits: Supports hip joint, thigh and pelvic flexibility. stimulates abdominal organs and kidneys, improves circulation, helps relieve mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Eases menstrual and menopausal discomfort and sciatica.
Contraindications: Groin or knee injury (blanket may be used to support under outer thighs), those with high blood pressure should not fold completely forward.

Benefits: Opens the hips and groins; stretches and tones the calves, thighs, and hamstrings. Relieves backache and sciatica.
Contraindications: Serious knee injury. To avoid neck strain, look down towards the floor rather than straight ahead. If this pose seems difficult, try placing the back knee on the floor for support.

Benefits: Opens the side of the body and chest. Energizes the body and strengthens legs.
Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the hips, knees, neck or shoulders.

Benefits: Strengthens and stretches legs, groin, hamstrings, shoulders, and spine. Opens the chest.
Contraindications:headache, uncontrolled high or low blood pressure. lower back, knee, or neck injury (keep head in neutral position if you have neck problems.)

Start in Warrior Two. Lengthen the spine. Right foot in front, knee is bent (about 90 degrees). Knee is stacked over (or just behind) ankle. The left leg is back and straight, foot pressing into mat. Keeping the body flat (like you are against a wall) turn your arms so your right hand is extended down toward the floor while the left is reaching up toward the ceiling. The left hand can touch the floor or bend right elbow and rest it lightly on your thigh. Breathe and hold position for 3-6 breaths. To release, inhale and reach the left fingers up and back into warrior II or straighten the legs coming into 5 pointed star. Repeat on other side.

Benefits: Opens the side of the body from feet to fingers. Energizes the body and strengthens legs.
Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the hips, knees, neck or shoulders.

Benefits: Strengthen legs. Stretches hips, groins, hamstrings, and muscles around spine. Opens chest and shoulders. Improves balance.
Contraindications: headache, uncontrolled high or low blood pressure. lower back, knee, or neck injury (keep head in neutral position if you have neck problems.)

Benefits: Stretches and strengthens leg muscles from ankles to hips, knees, abdominals, obliques, shoulders, chest, spine. Stimulates abdominal organs (improving digestion and elimination).
Contraindications: low blood pressure, heart conditions, headache, neck problems (keep head in neutral position if you have neck problems.)

Benefits: Develops awareness, balance, concentration, and poise. Strengthens legs, ankles and feet, and hips
Contraindications: headache, vertigo. knee, foot or hip injury

Inhale, lift and lengthen the spine. Exhale, lowering chest to the floor. Bring hands palms down in front of you. Hold. Breathe deeply and steadily. To come out, inhale upright and uncross legs. Repeat on other side.
Benefits: Stretches the hip and groins
Contraindications: Low back injury, knee injury
Modifications: Place folded blanket under sit bones if necessary. Support top knee with a blanket or a block if the gap is large.

DO NOT perform pose unless you can sit buttocks easily on the mat between your feet.
*If this feels too advanced, try the modified version shown in upper right corner.
From virasana, exhale and lower back toward mat. First lean onto hands, then forearms and elbows. Then place hands on the back of the pelvis and release lower back and buttocks down onto floor or a support. Lengthen lower back into the floor. Lay arms on floor near sides, palms up. Sink hips into mat. Knees may lift slightly away from floor. You may want to raise the knees a few inches up on a folded blanket. Keep thighs parallel. Do not allow knees to drift wider than the hips (to avoid straining hips and lower back).
To begin, hold pose for 30 seconds and gradually extend to 5 minutes. To come out, press forearms into mat, come onto hands. Then push torso up with hands, leading with the chest.

Benefits: Stretches abdomen, thighs, knees, ankles, and deep hip flexors. Relieves tired legs. Improves digestion. Aids menstrual pain.
Contraindications: Serious back, knee, or ankle problems, heart problems.

Modifications: Hold inside arches of feet or ankles. Place blanket under neck.
Benefits: Opens and stretches the hips and groin, Lengthens,helps realign the spine, calms the mind, relieves stress
Contraindications: pregnancy, knee or ankle injuries, extremely tight hips

Benefits: Stretches the hips. Stretches and strengthen lower back muscles, reduces pain and tension.
Contraindications: Use caution with knee injury or pain

Benefits: opens and brings flexibility to hips, (increases external range of motion of femur in hip socket), lengthens hip flexors, releases emotional tension (held in hips)
Contraindications: knee injury, sacroiliac issues

Begin in table pose. Slowly widen your knees out to the sides until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Draw the ankles directly behind the knees with the feet turned outward. Keep the inside of each calf and foot in contact with the floor and ankles in line with your knees. Bring the elbows and forearms on to the floor with the palms flat on the floor or with the palms pressed together. Exhale pressing the hips back until you feel a deep stretch in the hips and inner thighs. Hold the pose for several breaths. Release by easing hips forward and press back to Table Pose.

Modifications: Place folded blankets under the knees or elbows. Benefits: Opens the hips, groin and inner thighs. Opens chest and shoulders, calming. Therapeutic for menstrual cramps Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the knees, hips, legs, or ankles.