Yin Yoga: Hips, Shoulders & Front Body Release

Your hips, shoulders and chest are three of the places your body holds the most tension, and three of the most satisfying areas to finally let go.
This gentle all-levels yin practice moves through the front body with slow, supported stretching that targets the hip flexors, opens the chest, and releases the shoulders. No rushing or effort. Just you, the floor, and the kind of deep release that yin does better than almost anything else.
All levels are welcome. Grab a yoga block or cushion to support you through the practice.

Transcript

Hey friends, Today I'm sharing a yin yoga sequence to stretch the front of the body. If you have a block or a pillow, Or even two of them, Grab those for the practice. I'll give you some options to use those. And if you're new to me, Hi, I'm Ali Temple. I'm an international yoga and meditation teacher, Retreat leader, And yoga teacher mentor. I travel full-time and run my online yoga business and retreat business from tropical destinations like here. Here I am in Thailand. So grab your props and I'll meet you laying down on your front body. So go ahead and make your way onto your front body. We're going to come right into sphinx pose here. So prop yourself up onto your forearms. Elbows are under the shoulders. And we're starting to get a nice opening across the chest and upper body. You can take a moment to settle in and then drop into stillness. And if you know you're fairly open here, If you don't feel much in your lower back, Much compression there, You can also bend your knees and let your feet float up toward the back body. Kind of opening up the front of the thighs as well, Maybe the hamstrings too. A couple of options if you do have a block is placing your chin or your forehead on the block to support you. Because in yin, We want to use as little physical effort as possible, So allowing props to support us can actually help us drop deeper into the pose. And just hang out here and breathe. Okay, Slowly lower your legs back down if they're lifted, And then we'll slide the block out of the way. Just bring one cheek down, Arms by your sides. Switch it up, Other cheek down. Slide your hands under your shoulders and we'll sit back up to a seat for a moment. I want to come into a supported fish pose next. Two blocks if you have them or cushions. You'll be placing one under the back of the heart. So just think about your shoulder blade area. I'm going to go lower setting here. And the other one's going to go under your head. So if you want more of a heart opener, More opening across the chest, Go higher with the one under the chest. And lower with the head. I'm going to go even. So that it's not super intense either way. And you'll start to just shift yourself down so that the block under your shoulder blades isn't pinching, But it's supported. And the block under your head is right under your head so that you're not straining your neck. You can always shift around if this doesn't feel right. So find the option that works for you. And then from here, Come into butterfly pose, Soles of the feet together, Knees fall open. So we're really opening up the whole front of the body here, The hips and inner thighs, The low belly. All the way up through the upper belly and the chest and shoulders. And trying to allow those props to support you so that you can really relax into the shape. And then just breathe. Thank you very much. And for the last little bit, If you'd like to make this one a bigger opening, You can prop yourself up, Bring the block under your chest to the next height up, Maybe just giving it a shot. Seeing if it works for you. And then shift it around if you need to. And just hang out for the last five or so breaths. Pressing into your forearms, Slide both blocks out from underneath you. And we'll just come into Shavasana for a moment. Draw the legs back together, Extend your legs, And feel the rebound from that sweet opening across the front of your body. Alright, Let's roll through one side of your body. Come back up to a seat. We'll come into saddle pose next. Also known as reclined hero if you know that one from a more active practice. So bringing your knees to the top of your mat, Big toes together. Knees wide, And you'll start to lean back any amount. So this is really to get into the tops of the thighs here. If you feel it here, Good. Stay there. Otherwise, You can keep shifting back until you do. You might even end up setting the blocks up similar to how you had them in the last shape to support you a little further. Or if you're pretty open in the thighs, You could end up coming all the way back. So your shoulder blades and head are on the mat. So you find what works for you. If you're all the way back, Arms could reach up overhead. I find this brings more of an opening into the upper body again. But remember, We're not trying to reach or pull or strain. We really want to do the opposite here and instead soften and surrender into each shape. Slowly come back up, Press into the forearms, Rise back. We'll shift around to lay down on your back once more, Keeping your blocks within reach. We'll come into a reclining twist, Bring your hips to the right, Let your knees fall to the left. Just wringing out the spine here. If you want to make it supported, You can slide a block between the legs. Sink your shoulder blades down and maybe your eyes turn away from your knees to stretch up through the neck. Feeling the opening across the chest, Across the belly. Just take some deep breaths here as we wring out the spine. Let's shift it back to center. Just a few breaths in the middle. No rush to get anywhere. Feel the grounding through your hips and shoulders. And to the other side, Hips to your left, Knees fall to your right. Same option with the block. Eyes can turn to look over your left shoulder and just let go into the shape. Feel the heaviness in the back of your body. Softening across your face. Back through the middle one more time. Let's come into happy baby, Bend your knees, Reach through your legs, Catch your outer feet. Maybe a little rock side to side as we compress the front of the hips. Blend here in the middle just for a moment re-centering into shape. And we'll let it go and come right into final shavasana. Extend your legs out, Arms by your sides. Take a moment to settle into this final shape. Wrap your shoulder blades underneath you. Feel the back of your hands connect to the earth or the floor outside your yoga mat. Maybe a little rock side to side with the back of your head. And as your head lands back to center. Drop into stillness and feel the opening that you created across the front of your body. From the tops of the feet. The shins, Thighs. Front of your hips. And belly. Across the chest. Throat. Now softening in the face. Just be here for a moment with your breath. And you're welcome to stay as long as you like. If you're ready to take some movement and meet me back in a seated position, Start to wiggle your fingers and toes. Take a stretch, Whatever feels good. Slowly make your way through one side of your body and come back up to a seated position. I want to thank you for having the courage to show up and find peace within. I'll see you next time. Namaste.