The aim of this miscellaneous class is to enhance hip mobility using props and varied poses. Led by Pixie Lillas, this session offers practical techniques to loosen tightness and increase flexibility in the hips. Through precise instructions and the use of props like blocks and straps, students explore different poses to target hip mobility. This class will be divided into two sections: standing and seated & supine.
We’ll begin as usual with some shoulder-opening exercises by going into Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Virasana Forward and back several times. Next, we’ll move on to the standing section, first practicing some poses starting in Tadasana: Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana 1 and 2, Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana, Paschima Namaskar. This way we’ll start the work on our hips while continuing working into the neck and shoulders. A brief inversion session to redirect blood flow to the brain and energise the body and mind, then we’ll continue with some dynamic standing forward bends like Utthita Trikonasana, Utthita Parsvakonasana, and Ardha Chandrasana.
Now we move on to the seated and supine half of the class. Here, we’ll also get a chance to strengthen and invigorate our core, something that is very important in helping us maintain a healthy and productive practice but also enhance our daily lives by supporting good posture and decreasing fatigue levels. Some of the poses in this section involve Parvatasana in Virasana, Ubhaya Padangusthasana, Paripurna Navasana, and Supta Padangusthasaana. We’ll then do some twists to decompress the spine after the strenuous core-strengthening exercises. At the end of the class, before going into final meditation in Savasana, we’ll do some cooling inversions like Salamba Sarvangasana and Halasana as well as some asymmetrical variations of those poses to work deeper into the hips from both sides.
Video stills from this sequence
