Daily miscellaneous hip and groin opening sequence

A short miscellaneous sequences, focusing mostly on the hips and abdominal area.

Time 30 minutes

Focus Standing Forward Bends Abdominals Inversions

Contents

Introduction

This is a short sequence of miscellaneous poses with the aim of bringing opening to the hip and groin and lengthening the hamstrings. A good short sequence for when you are shorter on time. Return to this as often as you like!

Though some of the poses in this sequence, such as Ubhaya Padangusthasana and Paripurna Navasana, are quite advanced, the sequence is suitable for students of all levels and can offer lower-level students a good degree of challenge. A good tip for practising the two poses mentioned earlier if you’re relatively new to yoga: use a wall to support your feet and work on your core strength and flexibility without having to worry about your balance as well. After practising this variation on a regular basis, your body will eventually learn to hold the pose without support. You can also try putting a bend in your knees if you’re struggling with hamstring flexibility.

You can modify other poses as well. For example, for Utthita Padangusthasana, you can use a table or bench to support your leg or use the wall if you can’t keep your balance at the same time as working on your flexibility. As for Adho Mukha Vrksasana, lower-level students can do the preparation instead of the full pose by walking their feet up the wall to a height that feels comfortable.

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Supta Baddha Konasana

Reclining Bound Angle Pose

Join your feet together, your heels pressed to your pelvis. Lie back over a bolster or other form of support. Relax and let your chest open. If necessary, use a strap to hold your feet in place.

Adho Mukha Sukhasana

Simple Cross Legs Forward

Sit with your legs crossed. Keep your sit-bones pointing downward as you fold forward over your legs to capacity, lengthening your spine.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Both Hands To Foot)

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose with Both Hands to Foot

Stand up in Tadasana. Grab one foot with both arms and stretch it right in front of you. Work on keeping your back straight. Incorporate a bend in your knee or use a belt if necessary.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana I

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 1

Grab your foot by the toe and straighten your leg, maintaining your Tadasana line. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your body from tipping over. Use wall support if you lack the balance. You can also use a belt if you lack hamstring flexibility.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main aim is to elongate the back of your body and lift your hips up as high off the ground as possible without losing the stable foundation created by your hands and feet. If you lack the hamstring flexibility, bend your knees a little.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana

Full Arm Balance (Handstand)

Open your hands into the floor and strengthen your arms as you lift your body up, one leg at a time, into an inverted balance. Use the wall for support if necessary. If pushing yourself up proves to be too difficult, you can walk your feet up the wall.

Uttanasana

Standing Forward Bend

Starting in Tadasana, exhale and reach down towards your feet. Let your spine release downwards. You can bend your knees or place your hands on blocks if you lack the necessary flexibility.

Utthita Trikonasana

Extended Triangle Pose

Keep the toes and kneecap of your left leg pointed forward and, keeping your spine straight and long, stretch over your leg. Place your left hand on your ankle or on a block next to your foot. Look up towards your extended right arm.

Ardha Chandrasana

Half Moon Pose

Get rooted through your left foot, point your toes and kneecap forward. Then, place your left hand on the floor or a block in front of you as you stretch your other right leg back in line with your straight back. You can use the wall for support if you lack the balance. If possible, lift your right arm up.

Tadasana

Mountain Pose

Stand up tall and straight, place your feet close together, with your heels and big toes touching. Imagine as if you are standing with your back against the wall. Extend your whole body from the heels up through the crown of your head.

Supta Padangusthasana I

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Press your back body into the floor, point the kneecap and toes of your supine leg toward the ceiling, as you extend the other leg up over your hip. Use a belt if needed.

Supta Padangusthasana II

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Lie down on your back. Point kneecap and toes on your left leg upward, as you stretch your right leg out to the side. Use a belt if necessary. Change sides.

Daily miscellaneous hip and groin opening sequence

Virasana

Hero Pose

Sit with your legs bent with your heels on either side of your buttocks. Keep your back straight, avoid sinking forward or back.

Parvatasana in Virasana

Mountain Pose in Hero Pose

Sit in Virasana, stretch your arms out in front of you, and interlock your fingers. Turn your palms outward and, keeping your shoulders down and ribs in neutral, extend your arms upward.

Dandasana

Staff Pose

Point your sit-bones down and extend your spine upwards through the crown of your head. Use support under your buttocks or bend knees if needed to get your back straight.

Ubhaya Padangusthasana

Double Toe Hold

Start in a seated position. Bend your knees and grab a hold of your big toes. Extend your legs up and balance yourself on your coccyx to assume a V-shape with your body. Pull your abs in, activate your core, open your chest. If you cannot reach your ankles, use a belt to help you reach your feet.

Paripurna Navasana

Boat Pose

Start in Dandasana. Maintaining balance solely on the buttocks, recline your trunk slightly and lift your legs up. Keep your feet together, toes pointing up. Your feet should be higher than your head. Extend your arms forward past your legs.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Virasana Forward

Downward-Facing Hero Pose

Join your feet together under your buttocks and keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You can rest your forehead on the floor or on a block.

Viparita Karani

Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose

Bring your hips up to the wall and lift your legs up against it so that they're perpendicular to the floor. You can use a bolster or other form of support under your hips and lumbar spine to incorporate a mild backbend into the pose.

Savasana

Corpse Pose

Lie down on the floor. Spread your arms and legs slightly at your side. Relax and concentrate on your breath.

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You are welcome to download the PDF of the sequence and print and distribute it freely. You may have to wait up to 30 seconds for the PDF to generate. Please credit the teacher who created it. All illustrations from Dona Holleman’s ‘Yoga Darśana’, RIMYI Institute texts and Yoga Vastu illustrators for original asana drawings.

By Pixie Lillas

19 April 2022

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Daily miscellaneous hip and groin opening sequence

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