Hello yogis,
My name is April and welcome to the Yoga Ranger Studio and welcome to our practice today.
This practice is going to focus on opening up the space of the front of the hip flexor.
So that space where it kind of folds over when we sit,
We come into that 90 degree angle and it's a place that can get very.
.
.
Sticky and stuck just from our lifestyles of sitting in chairs a lot.
So if you're someone who,
When you stand up,
Feel that kind of sticky,
Stiff spot,
You kind of feel like you're bent over a little bit.
This is a very short stretch to kind of help open up that space and really feel a lot more lot more space in the front of the pelvis itself and the top of the legs.
The only thing we'll need for this practice is a block.
It can be a smaller or a bigger one than this.
If you don't have a block,
That's okay.
You can use books or you can use.
A bolster or pillow or rolled up blanket will work just as well for this practice.
So we're going to start seated,
Cross legged.
So find whatever cross-legged position works for you more or less than this.
Sitting up nice and tall.
And then we're just gonna start with our hands on the knees,
Palms facing down,
And some little hip circles.
Just to loosen up the body.
Circling whichever direction you want first.
We'll go the other way in a few moments.
Maybe making really big circles or smaller circles.
Or as you find yourself opening up,
You might be able to go a little bit deeper.
And then changing directions.
Starting already to feel a little bit more opening in that front body.
This is a great way to loosen up the hips overall.
Couple more this direction.
Super slow,
Super big.
And then coming back to center,
Sweeping those arms all the way up overhead,
Reaching up tall,
And then exhale,
Folding forward.
Steadly into wherever you are,
Palms flat.
Maybe you're closer to the floor,
Maybe you're further from the floor.
Remember this is the start of the stretch.
You may have been sitting for a long time and things may be very stiff and stuck.
Two more deep breaths into the belly.
And as you exhale this next time,
Letting those knees fall open a little bit more,
Even if your knees are all the way to the floor.
You can find just a little bit more opening in that inner leg.
Part of our hip flexors as well.
I'm starting to walk the hands back up.
We're gonna switch the crossing of those legs.
What we do to one side,
It's good to do to the other.
Find your place here,
Sweep those arms overhead,
Stretch up super tall,
And then exhale,
Fold yourself forward.
Notice if the side is a little bit more stuck or if it's easier to do.
I often find the second side is a little bit more open and ready to go after the first.
Breathing into the belly.
And as you breathe into the belly,
Breathe into the pelvis itself and the hips.
Just allow them to soften a little bit more.
One more deep inhale and exhale.
Walking your hands back up.
I'm gonna go ahead and come on to.
Our hands and knees,
And then taking the knees a little bit wider,
Big toes together,
As if you're gonna come into a child's pose.
We're gonna walk our hands back behind us.
You can come up on fingertips and lift the hips up.
Nice big stretch for the front body.
You can drop your head back or keep the chin to the chest.
Maybe lifting the hips a little bit more.
And exhaling,
Coming down,
Swiveling those feet around.
And we're going to take that block and have it right next to us.
For our next poses.
So coming all the way down onto your back.
Bring the bottoms of the feet flat,
Knees toward the ceiling,
Walk those feet in a little bit closer.
The center of the knee right down the center of that pelvic bone on each side.
So we're going to go ahead and lift our hips up and we're going to place that block either the shortest side or the next highest side right underneath the sacrum.
So that's that nice kind of flat bone at the base of the spine,
Top of the pelvis.
Find your place a little settled spot here.
Let your arms.
.
.
Come up overhead.
Now here you can take the arms straight up overhead.
You can take more of a T shape.
You might already start to feel some opening here in the front of the abdomen,
The pelvis.
Take a few breaths here.
It's also a great way to open up.
Chest and the heart space.
Maybe tucking those shoulder blades a little bit more underneath,
Taking the arms up over a little bit more.
And then without changing that right foot,
You're gonna bring that left knee into the chest.
You're not gonna use the hands here.
You're just gonna let it kind of hang out there.
Because you have that block underneath.
This gives you a little bit of balance.
To allow that knee to come closer without grabbing onto it.
So I'm gonna turn that knee out to the side,
Cross that left ankle over that right knee in sort of a little figure four.
We're not trying to push that knee away from us.
Open up the hip more we're just allowing gravity to do what it does Making space.
And then go ahead and take that leg straight up,
Point the toes.
Flex and point a couple of times.
And then when you get to a point again,
Point those toes and slowly lower that leg all the way down to the floor,
Heel reaches.
To the floor if this is a lot you can always bend that knee just a little bit Always thinking about your lower back and protecting it.
Here,
Focus your breath into the front of that left hip.
The space almost kind of opening up,
Almost ironing out.
Two more deep breaths.
And slowly pulling that left leg in.
Foot flat,
Knee toward the ceiling,
We're going to switch sides.
So taking a nice deep breath,
Inhaling.
Exhaling it all out through the mouth.
Let that right knee come in.
No help here.
Just let it kind of hang out.
Knee toward the chest.
Compressing that space of the hip flexors just a little bit before stretching it out.
It's good for it to get both ways,
Movement in both planes of movement.
Last deep breath here.
And then tilting that right knee out,
Take that right ankle across that left knee and just let that right knee open up however it will.
No force here,
No pressure,
No pushing.
Notice how you can breathe more into the belly.
The lower abdomen itself.
Next inhale,
Bring that knee back to center,
Taking that leg way up toward the ceiling.
Pointing and flexing the toes a few times.
Get a little stretch in the ankle as well.
And when you next get your toes pointed,
Reaching out through the toes and stretching out and lowering that right leg down toward the floor,
Heel touching.
Here again,
If this is too much for your lower back,
You can always bend that knee.
Pull that foot in a little bit closer.
One more deep inhale and exhale.
And slowly pulling that foot flat,
Knee toward the ceiling.
Here taking the arms down alongside.
The hips,
We're gonna lift the hips up,
Fold that block over to the lowest height if you're not already there.
Bring it down.
And here we're just going to rock the knees a little bit side to side.
Give yourself a little lower back massage.
Start to slowly walk those feet out.
You can keep the knees a little bit bent or you can take those legs,
Both of them straight out,
Toes a little bit pointed and arms up overhead.
Just for five breaths.
Nice gentle supported backbend.
Nice big arch of a supported bridge.
Can really help open up.
The front of the legs and the hips.
The abdomen and the chest.
One more deep inhale and exhale.
And slowly bending one knee at a time,
Bring those feet flat.
We're gonna press through the bottoms of our feet.
Slide that block out come all the way down onto your back Here we're gonna walk our feet a little bit wider or as wide as the mat.
You can take the arms out to the side or down by the hips.
We're just going to gentle windshield wiper side to side.
Letting the knees drop a little bit off each side.
When you next get over to the left go ahead and drop those knees to the left.
Press down just a little bit through that right inner knee toward the floor.
And then back up through center.
And over to the other side same thing here press that left knee down toward the floor getting a little bit more stretch into that outer hip space,
Maybe even a little bit into the lower back.
Back up through center,
Back to left.
Again here,
Two deep breaths.
Then back over to the right.
Two deep breaths Maybe your back pops just like mine,
Always on the second twist,
Second side,
Right?
Back up their center,
Walking those feet a little bit closer together.
Bring that right knee into your chest.
Take your hand in front of the shin or behind the knee and pull that right knee in super close.
Use your biceps and triceps to pull it in as close to your chest as possible.
Circling the ankle a few times.
Releasing that leg down switching sides pulling that left knee in here as well pulling it in as close as you can,
Circling the ankle.
Both directions,
Getting a little opening on the ankle and foot.
Pull it in a little bit closer.
And then release and take that left leg out long.
Bring that right knee into your chest.
Take that left hand to the outside of the right knee and drift that knee over to the left.
So your right arm can go out to the right.
You can turn and look over the right side.
Nice deep stretch here.
Pressing through that left heel.
So flexing your left toes as if you're standing on that heel,
Flexing your right toes and pulling a little bit more.
And then coming back to center.
Both feet flat.
Stretch that right leg out straight.
Flex the toes.
Bring that right left knee into the chest.
And bring that left knee all the way over to the right this time.
Arm outstretched.
Press through that right heel.
Flex those left toes as well.
And stretch a little bit deeper.
And coming back to center.
Hug the knees into the chest.
Bring your nose to your knees,
Knees to your nose.
And then rock all the way up to a seat again.
Take a moment to notice how your hip flexors feel.
If you're someone who spends a lot of time sitting or you've traveled a lot and been in a car or a plane,
You've been stuck in one position,
You may find that just 15 minutes of your time to stretch the space out can help you breathe,
Can help your digestion,
Can help you feel more grounded because we're working with a lot of the stomach and spleen meridians in this space,
So very grounding and earth-centering practice as well.
So opening up this space can really help you feel a little bit more centered.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
I hope you have a great week.
And I hope to see you again on the mat very soon.
