This Is How to Stretch Out Your Hips at Home

Hip-opening is a top priority for many yoga practitioners—and for good reason. Maintaining flexibility and stability in the hip joints is crucial for preventing lower back aches and pains, not to mention cultivating overall ease and mobility in our bodies. And knowing how to stretch out your hips can be particularly helpful when it comes to sitting comfortably in meditation.

In this sequence, you’ll strengthen the outer hips, release tension in the lower back, and stretch the inner thighs. Although these poses are helpful in their own right to stretch out your hips, they also help prepare you to launch into Flying Pigeon. (Even if this pose feels out of reach, there is benefit in the attempt! And you might surprise yourself…) Finally, some cooldown work continues to stretch out your hips and help release any trapped tension.

This Is How to Stretch Out Your Hips at Home

1. Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

Sit cross-legged with one shin in front of the other, and your feet under your knees. Draw your navel in, lengthen your spine, and relax your shoulder blades down your back. Inhale to lengthen your spine even more, and on an exhalation, straighten your arms and start to lean forward, staying on your fingertips. Pause in Easy Pose for 5 deep breaths.

2. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

From sitting, come to your hands and knees and bring your hands a few inches in front of your shoulders. Spread your fingers and, with your feet hip-distance apart, tuck your toes and lift your hips in Downward-Facing Dog. Move toward straightening your legs while reaching your heels toward the mat. You can keep your knees slightly bent. Stay here for 5 deep breaths.

3. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

From Downward Dog, walk your hands back toward your feet in  Standing Forward Bend. If you feel any discomfort in your hamstrings or low back, bend your knees. Stay here for 5 deep breaths, then walk your hands back out to Down Dog.

4. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

From Down Dog, place your right foot between your hands and turn your back toes in slightly toward the left side of your mat. Press your right hand into the mat or a block inside your right foot, then reach your left arm toward the ceiling in Extended Side Angle Pose. Use your right arm to press your knee open as you simultaneously hug your right hip in. Lengthen through both sides as you stay here for 3-5 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

5. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Come to standing at the front of the mat. Place your right heel high up on your left inner thigh or inner calf but not on your knee joint. Place your hands on your hips as you hug your outer left hip in toward your midline in Tree Pose. Connect your eyes to one point—your drishti—
as you bring your hands to salutation seal (anjali mudra) at your chest. Stay here or reach your hands overhead and stay there for 5 deep breaths. Then repeat Tree Pose on the other side. Release and then step back to Down Dog.

6. Warrior Pose 2 (Virabhadrasana II)

From Down Dog, place your right foot between your hands. Turn your back toes in slightly toward the left side of your mat, then rise to stand and bring both arms parallel to the ground. Firm your back leg and move toward a 90-degree bend in your front knee. Firm your right hip under and draw your navel in. With your arms spread, open your chest as you keep your shoulders floating above your hips. Stay in Warrior 2 for 5 deep breaths.

7. Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

From Warrior 2, straighten your front leg and shift your right hip back as you reach forward and reach your hand to your right ankle, shin, or a block. Turnyour chest toward the left, keeping your navel drawing toward your spine in Triangle Pose. Lift your left arm toward the ceiling and gaze toward your left hand if that feels okay on your neck. (If not, look sideways or down to the mat.) Stay here for 5 deep breaths.

8. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

From Triangle Pose, look down and slide your right hand about a foot in front of your foot and a little to the right. Slowly lift your left leg in Half Moon Pose. Revisit all the actions of Triangle Pose: Hug your right hip toward the midline, firm your back (lifted) leg, lengthen both sides of your waist, and draw your ribs and navel in. Settle your gaze toward your mat, to the wall in front of you, or toward your lifted hand. Stay in for 5 deep breaths.

Move through a vinyasa, then repeat Warrior 2, Triangle Pose, and Half Moon Pose on the left side.

9. Horse Stance with Eagle (Garudasana) Arms

Place your feet 3-4 feet apart, with your toes turned out at a 45-degree angle. Wrap your left arm under your right and raise your forearms perpendicular to the mat. Squat down so your knees track toward your second toes. With a flat back, lean slightly forward  as you reach your hips back. Remain here for 5 breaths. Keeping your legs bent, bring your chest upright, switch the cross of your arms, and repeat.

Place your hands on your mat and return to Down Dog.

10. Bound Side Angle Pose (Baddha Parsvakonasana)

From Down Dog, step or walk your right foot in between your hands. Turn your back toes out slightly, bend your right knee, place your right elbow on your right knee, and lift your left arm toward the ceiling. Bring your right arm behind your back, and if it’s comfortable, under your right leg. Maintain length in your spine and pull the right hip underneath you as you bend your top elbow and reach behind you and try to clasp your left wrist with your right hand. Remain in Bound Side Angle Pose for 5 deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

11. Standing Hip Opener

From standing, bring your outer right ankle on top of your left thigh and flex your right foot. Actively press your right knee toward the floor as you lower your hips back and down, feeling the stretch in the outer right hip. Remain here or fold forward over your standing leg, bringing your fingertips to rest on the floor or blocks in front of you and hooking your flexed right foot around your left triceps. Stay here for 5 deep breaths. (Make sure you feel the stretch in your right hip and glutes, not your right knee.)

12. Flying Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Galavasana)

From the previous pose, hook your right foot around your left triceps even more strongly and root your hands into your mat, leaning forward so that your upper arms feel as if they’re in Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana). Extend your left leg in the air behind you and find your drishti on the floor in front of you. Remain here for 5-8 deep breaths, then repeat Standing Hip Opener and Flying Pigeon on the other side. Finally, make your way to Down Dog, with or without a vinyasa.

13. Head-0f-the-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)

From Down Dog, jump or walk through to seated with both legs straight in front of you. Bend your left leg and place the sole of your left foot against your right inner thigh. On an inhalation, extend your arms toward the ceiling and turn your belly and chest toward your outstretched right leg. On an exhalation, keep your spine long as you fold forward over your right leg, holding onto your foot or a strap in Head-of-the-Knee Pose. As you lengthen your torso, focus on extending your chest over your straight leg rather than rounding. Stay here for 5 deep breaths, then repeat on the other side.

14. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Stretch both legs straight in front of you and then draw your feet as close to your pelvis as you comfortably can. With peace fingers, grasp the big toe of each foot as you bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to open away from your midline in Bound Angle Pose. If your knees are high off the floor or your back rounds, sit on a blanket or block or place your hands behind you. If you have more flexibility, hold your feet and fold forward. Stay here for 5 deep breaths.

15. One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

Come to Tabletop, with your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist, angling your right shin. Slowly slide your left leg back, straightening your knee and resting the front of your thigh on the mat. Stay here or crawl your hands forward and relax your chest toward your mat, only going as deep as you comfortably can. Stay in Pigeon Pose for 10 or more deep breaths, then switch sides.

16. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. As you inhale, reach your arms overhead. As you exhale, fold forward, bending from your hips and reaching your chest forward in Seated Forward Bend. Reach for  the outer edges of your feet or clasp a strap looped around your feet. Keep your elbows straight until you’re ready to stretch further, then bend your elbows. Allow your lower belly then upper belly, ribs, and finally head to touch your legs. Stay in this pose for 1-3 minutes.

After you’ve completed this practice to stretch out your hips, move into Savasana.

This article has been updated. Originally published March 21, 2017.