Safe Hip Opening for Everyone

Hip openers are a powerful group of poses, but not easily accessible to everyone. In this month’s YogaU Practice Series, join renowned yoga teachers Julie Gudmestad, Doug Keller, and Natasha Rizopoulos as they offer up four practices to help make hip openers more accessible.

Learn how to lengthen tight adductors with standing poses, learn how to lengthen and relax key hip flexors, and get tips and ideas for your practice and teaching with these soothing practices!

This Practice Series is available to members of the YogaUOnline Practice Channel. Not yet a member, but want to try the series? No worries, you can sign up for a one-month trial subscription for only 99 cents – and, stay tuned for some great new series’ coming up! 

Hip Opening with Standing Poses – Key Poses to Lengthen the Adductors with Julie Gudmestad

In this practice, Julie guides you through a practice that will open up space in your hips and lengthen your adductors. This practice places an emphasis on uncompressing the spine and moving it into a deeper rotation, increasing its mobility and suppleness. You will build a stronger foundation for future forward bends, twists, and balance poses.

Safe Hip Opening: Focus on the Hip Flexors and the DFL with Doug Keller

Sitting in meditation can challenge the lower back and hips. Tiredness or weakness of the low back causes the hip flexors to engage more, which can tighten them and create even more challenge. Doug guides you through a practice to open your hips and strengthen your lower back, inner thighs and hip points.

Open Your Hips with Natasha Rizopoulos

Discover the essential principles that will transform your hips and create greater freedom in all of your postures. Natasha guides you through standing, seated and supine poses to increase your range of motion. You’ll release your hips and finish class empowered to continue the opening throughout your practice.

Melt Away Tension with Wide-Leg Seated Forward Bends with Julie Gudmestad

Forward bends allow for deep release, peeling off layers of physical and muscular tension. Through this practice, you should feel more mobility in your spine and ribcage, which will improve your posture and deepen your breathing. Julie also offers preparatory options that make the benefits of these poses more accessible.