“This asana is for an open hip” is a phrase you may have heard many times in yoga. But what exactly does it mean to have an open hip? And why exactly is it so important?
The hip - more important than you think
The general perception of yoga is that it makes you more flexible and is good for your back. This is not wrong, of course, but complex processes take place in the body that cannot always be traced back to a single body part. One example of this is the hip: when we have back pain, the first thing we think of is that we should do some back exercises. But in reality, our back may just be lacking the necessary flexibility. This is where open hips come in: they provide more mobility in the lower back and thus prevent back pain. Open hip joints also bring your pelvis into optimal alignment, which also provides relief for your back. In addition, open hips reduce tension in the knees and thus relieve the knee joints. So you see, the hip is a pretty important joint.
The hips in yoga
Maybe you've heard that emotions, tension and stress get trapped in the hips and you've wondered what that means?
When we are sad or stressed, these emotions are stored in the hips. This is because the iliopsoas, the strongest hip flexor muscle in our body, contracts when there is any form of tension. Through its connection to our nervous system, it is closely connected to our emotions.
Hip opener exercises ensure better flexibility in the hip area, which then has a positive effect on our emotional feelings.
Six yoga asanas for open hips
Now that we know that the hips play an important role in many areas of our body and soul, we would like to introduce you to a few exercises that open the hips and thus contribute not only to your physical but also to your emotional well-being.
01 Malasana
It is best to start this pose standing up. Place your feet about the width of your mat and let your toes point slightly outwards.
Exhale and bend your knees until you are in a deep squat. Now bring your hands together in front of your chest in a prayer shape and at the same time push your legs further apart by pressing your elbows against your inner knees.
Make sure your back stays straight and your head is in line with your spine.
02 Pigeon Pose
Begin the Pigeon Pose in either a quadruped position or a downward dog position. From there, push your right knee forward and bring it slightly to the outer edge of the mat. The lower leg should be as parallel as possible to the end of the mat.
If this is too extreme for your hips, you can bend your knee further and bring your foot closer to your thigh. Stretch your left leg straight back. Your knee and the top of your foot are on the mat. Now support yourself with your fingers and straighten your upper body.
If you notice that your hips are not yet flexible enough and you are slipping to the right, you can also use a block to help you and slide it under your right buttock.
03 Low Lung
For this pose, start in downward dog. Take a big lunge and bring your right foot between your hands. You can now place your left knee and the upper part of your foot on the mat. If this is too hard for you, you can use your mat to help you and fold it in half and place it under your knee.
Now release your hands from the floor and straighten your spine.
You can now either place your hands on your right leg or stretch them up towards the ceiling and train your back with a small backbend.
04 Frog Pose
For the frog pose, start in downward dog. Then breathe in deeply and place your left knee between your hands. Now turn your body to the right and place your right knee on the mat. Breathe out and bring your elbows and forearms parallel to the mat, pressing your palms into the floor.
Make sure your toes are pointing out to the side so that the insides of your feet are on the mat. Spread your knees apart until you feel a good stretch in your hips.
In this asana, your knees should be at the same height as your hips and ankles, and your elbows should be in line with your shoulders.
05 Three-legged Dog
The starting pose for this asana is the classic downward dog. Start from a four-legged position with your fingers spread and pressing into the mat.
Exhale, point your toes and lift your knees off the mat while lifting your buttocks and pushing them towards the ceiling. Now you can slowly straighten your legs. Try to push yourself slightly away from the floor with your hands to build up the right body tension and be able to press your heels towards the mat.
Now turn your arms slightly outwards to allow your shoulders to sink further. The head is relaxed, but not simply left hanging. Now breathe in and lift your right foot as high as possible from the mat. Then bend your knee and bring your heel towards your buttocks. This opens the hips pleasantly.
06 Baddha Konasana
This asana starts sitting on the mat. Pull your feet towards you and bring the soles of your feet together so that they touch.
Try to bring your feet as close to your pelvis as possible, with your knees pointing outwards, and by externally rotating your thighs you can bring them closer to the mat floor.
Now grasp the balls of your feet with your thumbs and open your feet as if you were opening a book. Now begin to lower your upper body towards your feet with a straight back.
The point here is not to get your head down as far as possible. Instead, make sure your back stays straight and doesn't round. It's also important that your hips don't lift off the mat.
