Poses for Your Thighs
Build both flexibility and stability in the thighs with these yoga poses that stretch and strengthen them from every angle.
Latest in Poses for Your Thighs
The 7 Best Yoga Poses to Stretch Tight Quads
Your quadriceps take you everywhere and help you do just about everything. Here's how to ensure they continue to do so without complaint.
Reverse Plank | Upward Plank Pose
Purvottanasana counteracts the effects of Chaturanga by stretching the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and anterior deltoids.
Tree Pose
A classic standing posture, Vrksasana establishes strength and balance, and helps you feel centered, steady and grounded.
Bound Angle Pose
Bound Angle Pose, or Baddha Konasana, opens the deepest part of the hip muscles.
Eagle Pose
You need strength, flexibility, and endurance, and unwavering concentration for Eagle Pose.
Pigeon Pose
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is a deep hip opener and forward bend that you should approach consciously to reap its many benefits.
Staff Pose
It might look straightforward, but there's more to Dandasana than meets the eye.
Seated Forward Bend
A simple pose that's anything but easy.
Warrior 3 Pose
A standing posture centered around balance, Virabhadrasana III will strengthen your legs, ankles, and core.
Side Plank Pose
When's the last time you reminded yourself that you can do difficult things?
Easy Pose
Don't let the name fool you. If you're used to sitting in chairs, Easy Pose (or Sukhasana) can be quite challenging.
Extended Triangle Pose
Extended Triangle Pose is a quintessential standing pose that stretches and strengthens the whole body.
Chair Pose
Utkatasana powerfully strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs, but it also stimulates the diaphragm and heart.
Standing Forward Bend
Uttanasana will wake up your hamstrings and soothe your mind.
Camel Pose
Bump up your energy (and confidence!) by bending back into Camel Pose. Ustrasana counteracts slouching and relieves lower back pain with a generous, heart-opening stretch.
Warrior 1 Pose
Virabhadrasana 1 is a foundational yoga pose that balances flexibility and strength in true warrior fashion.
Child’s Pose
Take a break. Balasana is a restful pose that can be sequenced between more challenging asanas.
Mountain Pose
It seems so simple as to hardly be a pose. But this basic posture contains the secrets of how to hold yourself in countless other poses.
Bow Pose
Bend back into the shape of a bow to feel energetically locked, loaded, and ready to take aim.
Firefly Pose
Want to fly? Fire up your core. Firefly pose is an arm balance pose that requires more core strength than arm strength.
The Future of Yoga: 3 Things Modern Postural Yoga Could Do Better
Yoga and Pilates teacher Trina Altman shares why she practices and teaches a lot more than basic asana. Here, three big ways she’d love to see asana practice advance in the near future.
A Hero (Pose) for Every Home Practice
The intensity of Virasana can feel as daunting as the hero’s journey in your favorite adventure story. Choose the variation on the pose, ranging from gentle to fiery, to fit the narrative of your personal story on the mat today.
Fine-Tune Your Forward Folds
Dial in to the details for greater integrity in your forward folds.
Intro to Anatomy: Piriformis Primer
The surprising key to soothing sciatica and lower back pain is a muscle you may never have heard of—the piriformis.
Back in Traction: Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Stretch your hamstrings without straining your spine. Learn the basics of Supta Padangusthasana.
Wild Thing
One poetic translation of Camatkarasana means "the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart."
Yoga Anatomy 101: Hip Adductor Need-to-Know
Work the small muscles of your inner thighs—often overlooked in yoga—to find ease in all sorts of poses.
Got Tight Quads? Yes, You Can Still Enjoy Supta Virasana
Don't let tight quadriceps keep you from one of yoga's most relaxing poses: Supta Virasana.
Standing Split
When you practice Standing Splits focus on the stretch in your quad and hamstring, not how high you can lift your leg.
Peacock Pose
According to Hindu lore, the Peacock symbolizes immortality, love, and patience. Peacock Pose, called Mayurasana in Sanskrit, works to lovingly strengthen the core while stretching the palm side of the wrists.
Low Lunge
Low Lunge, or Anjaneyasana in Sanskrit, stretches the thighs and groins and opens the chest. It provides recovery post-workout, and boosts energy while consciously working to improve posture.
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose II
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II allows you to stretch the entire front body and deep into the hip flexors to strengthen your back and improve posture.
High Lunge, Crescent Variation
This variation of High Lunge, sometimes called Crescent Pose, is a great preparation for the full version of Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose).
High Lunge
Counteract the effects of Modern-Day Sitting Syndrome by lengthening your hip flexors in High Lunge.
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
In Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose, maintaining solid grounding through the standing foot helps keep you steady.
Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose
Can you practice Wheel with straight arms and Headstand without strain? Then, you're ready.
Garland or Squat Pose
An excellent facilitator of good pelvic floor health, Garland Pose, called Malasana in Sanskrit, stretches the ankles, groins, and back while stimulating proper digestion. No worries if your heels don't reach the floor—simply rest them on a folded blanket.
King Pigeon Pose
Kapotasana invigorates your body and gives your spirits a lift. This extremely deep backbend is appropriate for advanced practitioners only.
Half Frog Pose
Ease up into Half Frog Pose, called Ardha Bhekasana in Sanskrit. This pose strengthens the back while gently opening up the shoulders, chest, and thighs—a loving treat for the entire body.
Big Toe Pose
This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings.
Thigh Master
Check out Julie Gudmestad's author page.
You Have to Be Nice to Your Hamstrings to Lengthen Them
Flexible, strong hamstrings are key to any yoga practice. But they're often stubbornly tight. These five hamstring stretches gently lengthen and strengthen them.
Thighs Matter
Check out Julie Gudmestad's author page.
Rope Pose
In this challenging version of a twist, your arms wrap around your legs so your hands can clasp behind the back, almost like a lasso or a snare.
Dancer Pose | Lord of the Dance Pose
Dance with cosmic energy in this challenging yet graceful balancing pose that relies on equal parts effort and ease.
Monkey Pose
Take a leap of faith into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose, named for a figure in Hindu mythology who did just that. And when faith doesn't get you all the way there, practice will.
Locust Pose
Salabhasana or Locust Pose effectively preps beginners for deeper backbends, strengthening the back of the torso, legs, and arms.
Reclining Hero Pose
Lay Virasana back and to take the stretch in the thighs and ankles up a notch.
Half Moon Pose
Say hello to leg and ankle strength as you seek stability and extend into this balancing pose, Half Moon Pose.
Cow Face Pose
Can't see the cow face? Notice that the crossed legs look like the lips. The bent-elbow arms, one up and one down, are the ears.
Wide-Angled Seated Forward Bend
Upavistha Konasana is good preparation for most of the seated forward bends, twists, and the wide-leg standing poses.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose
A classic restorative posture, Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose can be modified for any level of hip and groin resistance.
Hero Pose
Virasana is a balm for tired legs at the end of the day, as well as an alternative to Lotus for seated meditation.
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose I
Oh, your aching back? Or maybe you can't crack those tight hamstrings. Supta Padangusthasana I or Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose I is for you.
Head-to-Knee Pose
Janu Sirsasana, or Head-to-Knee Pose, is appropriate for students of any level and melds a forward bend with a spinal twist.