Hips – Weekly Advanced Class 126

Generally we tend to think of seated poses and forward bends as being effective in terms of hip opening yoga poses. This weeks advanced class on Yoga Selection shows how some of the backbend variations can also be used to access the hips. This class heads in the direction of eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon pose). Several of the different variations of this pose are included as well as some related and overlapping poses such as vamadevasana and hanumanasana. These poses are extremely effective at focusing on the hips and surrounding muscles such as the gluteals, psoas and quadriceps. Although these poses are challenging for most practitioners, they can be easily adapted to suit people with stiffer bodies. This class shows how to approach these poses in order to emphasise their hip opening benefits. Preparatory variations are also included that gradually build towards the full pose.