Opening the Hips Shouldn't Just Be Frogs – You Need to Practice These ‘Comprehensive’ Hip-Opening Poses!
When it comes to opening the hips, the most common action is frog pose or lunge. These poses do have a certain effect, but many practitioners express doubts, and often find that even after frequent practice, their hips don't open properly.
This is determined by the structure of the hip joint. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, allowing for movement in six directions:Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, external rotation, and internal rotation.
Only when these six directions of movement are freely active is the hip fully 'opened'.
Practicing a single posture alone can only open one direction, and will not significantly improve hip flexibility, moreover, it can lead to imbalances in the hip muscles. Especially in Hatha yoga, the principle is balance. When the body is balanced, energy will also be balanced.
Therefore, to truly establish hip flexibility and completely open the hips, you cannot only practice single postures. A comprehensive approach is necessary, involving all movements that involve the hip.
1
Fish Pose ()
Exhale slowly bend your knees, sit your hips towards the mat, with your feet's soles facing each other, with your knees spread out, preparing to enter Fish Pose. Exhale, lengthen your back forward and down, if possible, let your forehead touch the floor, close your eyes, take deep, slow, and relaxed breaths.
2
Cow Pose ()
Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight forward. Extend your legs as far as possible to the sides. Throughout the process, maintain the straightness of your legs, with the entire back of your legs firmly touching the ground. Exhale, lean forward and downward to your limit; if possible, place your head on the floor, stretch your neck, and place your chin on the floor; 5. Inhale, push your body up, returning to Mountain Pose.
3
Lateral Stretch ()
Stand with your legs wide apart. Raise your arms out to the sides, turning your right foot 90 degrees and your left foot 45 degrees, with the hip joint as a pivot point, bend forward along your right leg to your maximum extent, hold this posture for 20 to 30 seconds, taking deep, slow, and relaxed breaths.
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