About
This class focuses on a selection of yoga poses that can help to stretch the piriformis muscle. This muscle is located deep in the buttock region. In yoga classes it is not uncommon for people to be interested in specific asanas that can help to lengthen the piriformis. This curiosity might be connected to Piriformis Syndrome, where tightness in this muscle irritates the sciatic nerve resulting in pain being radiated down through the buttock and hamstring. For someone with this ailment it is often very easy to isolate the piriformis and connect with a challenging stretch. For yoga practitioners more generally this small muscle can be elusive and easily lost in the sensation of the gluteals or iliiotibial band. For this reason it is good to have a range of poses in your repertoire that target not only the piriformis but also its surrounding muscle groups.