#open hips

[serulean-art]

🐉💃✨️

commission from last year for Artek ! <3

[exercisestayingalive]

37K views · 675 reactions | Open hips, better circulation, and real lower body stability — all from a seat, all in fifteen reps. Bouncing h

Open hips, better circulation, and real lower body stability — all from a seat, all in fifteen reps. Bouncing hip openers, seated heel digs

[etaoblr]

Open Your Hips with the Gentle Yoga Side Stretch (Seated Side Straddle S... Side Body Stretch - Learn how to perform a gentle Seated Side Straddle Stretch Yoga   Make sure your muscles are warm before you stretch or exercise.   Warming up before stretching is very important and it is literally the process of warming up your core body temperature. Warming up can be any low-intensity continuous activity such as relaxed jogging in place or walking. Instructions for Seated straddle side stretch yoga exercise. (1) Sit with your legs wide apart and press the tops of your thighs down into the floor and make your spine straight. (2) Place your hands behind you and lift the front of your torso up and forward. (3) Now extend your right arm and side bend towards your right leg while you reach with your left arm. (4) Try and hold the outside edge of your right foot with your left hand. If you cannot reach it you can use a belt to hold around the foot. (5) Hold the pose for up to a minute while you lengthen the stretch from your hips up thru your fingertips. (6) On an inhalation gently lift your torso and come back to the center before repeating on your left side. Are your health goals weight loss; weight gain; building strength; building muscle; shaping/toning; improving overall health; improving speed, agility, power, balance, and coordination; decreasing blood pressure or cholesterol level; managing diabetes and other chronic diseases; injury rehabilitation; or sport-specific training? Your Goals are very important to You. And to me. I hope you have a great 2017 and reach your Exercise and Health Goals. Try and include stretching into your daily exercises. The Gentle Seated Yoga Side Straddle Stretch is a really excellent stretch. Cheers!

[balancedbrianna]

Many of you probably don’t know, but I’ve been working toward getting my full front split. Being a gymnast when I was younger, I had my front splits all the way down. And knowing I use to be able to do it makes me sad I can’t anymore, but also determined to get them back.

As I am in school for Human Kinetics (Kinesiology), I like to know how the body works and what muscles I’m using when performing a movement. Because of that I’m going to go through the muscles that are used when performing the splits. Which will also aid in finding movements to open the hips for the splits.

The Muscles

Picture of the muscles stated to help with visualization.

In this pose, you have many leg muscles in action. In the front leg, the pectineus and adductor longus and brevis muscles contract to adduct and internally rotate the front leg. The hamstrings, gluteus maximus, medius and minimus, adductor magnus, periformis, and calf muscles (soleus, gastrocnemius), all lengthen to resist over articulation in the front hip joint and to maintain internal rotation and adduction. In the back leg, the psoas major, iliacus, rectus femoris, tensor fasciae latae, sartorius, and gracilis, all lengthen to resist overextension of the hip while maintaining adduction and internal rotation.

The Movements

Before performing front splits you must stretch every muscle used in the pose. Also, warming up the muscles before stretching helps get a better and longer stretch out of the muscles. Today I’m going to show you two movements that I use to improve my front splits. These movements are great to improve the flexibility of the hips.

First Movement – Low Lunge to Half Split

A low lunge pose stretches the hip flexors and adductor muscles. Then extending the bent leg long to half split pose stretches the hamstrings. Alternating between the two poses will open the hips and hamstrings for the splits.

You should rock through these poses forward an back, breathing through the movement. This will help stretch the muscles stated and elongate them.

Second Movement – Pigeon

This pose gives a good stretch to the glutes as well as lengthens the hip flexors. It can also be performed with a forward bend over the front leg, making it a bit easier for those who find it hard with the backbend being upright.

The Pose

My right front split isn’t down to the floor yet because the hips are little tighter on this side. So just know one side will always be more flexible than the other!

When just starting out using two blocks on the side of each hip helps sit comfortably in the pose and helps with your alignment. Eventually when the hips open up more you will no longer need the blocks. It’s important to allow the hips to drop instead of trying to stretch the legs further out to get down to the ground. Otherwise an injury like a pulled muscle could happen. Practice at least 3 times a week and the splits will come!

Hope this helps :) namaste.

xx .

Opening the Hips for the Splits Many of you probably don't know, but I've been working toward getting my full front split. Being a gymnast when I was younger, I had my front splits all the way down.

[freespiritedlotus]

Today's mantra: Be present.

I feel the most present when I'm opening my heart and hips. The neural pathways for our fight/flight syndrome and emotions are at the base of our tale-bone/hips. This makes complete sense to me, because when I do a flow focused on opening my hip flexors and legs, where are biggest muscles are, I always experience intense emotion. 

I remember during finals week during my last semester of college, I was doing hip openers in the gym after leg day, and I become so emotional I almost cried. I had to compose myself in child’s pose before going to class. 

Today, I really needed to be present. I took my first long walk to the resevoir in a while yesterday, and I woke up very stiff and sore. I knew today was the perfect day to focus on opening my heart and hips. I think when some of us do yoga we’re afraid to confront our emotions. But, yoga allows us to experience them and then let them fall wherever they may. Today I closed my eyes and listened to my body. I let my body go into whatever pose felt best. I tried to let my heart lead me into wherever I was meant to go. 

Yoga has taught me to take things as they are. Whatever happens will happen, so we have to bloom where we are planted. We need to remember to focus on this very moment. Don’t worry about the tiny details of life- I know I struggle with this a lot. Let the present moment play out, and always remember to breath. 

[aspencultleader]

Welcome to the last edition of our 90 day Splits and Open Hips challenge! Your hosts freespiritedlotus, yoga-granola, and I manipura-asana have had a blast practicing with you these last two months. We'd love for you to join us in March too! 

Just getting started? No worries! You can jump right on in this month, or catch up on our last two posts here: 

January

February

Just like last month, we're each hosting a week. Make sure you follow your hosts for a little pose write-up and modifications! They'll also be liking, reblogging, and rooting you on. 

Week One. Hosted by Monica (yoga-granola)

day 60 (1st): Leg hug to chest - seated 

61 (2nd): Half lord of the fishes

62 (3rd): Cow face

63 (4th): Happy Baby

64 (5th): Mermaid

65 (6th): Half upright seated angle

66 (7th): Yoga mat (rest day) 

Week Two. Hosted by Mandie (freespiritedlotus)

67 (8th): Standing Mermaid

68 (9th): Dolphin

69 (10th): Reclining cow face

70 (11th): Garland pose

71 (12th): Toe stand

72 (13th): Eagle

73 (14th): Coffee or tea? (rest day) 

Week Three. Hosted by Jillian (manipura-asana) 

74 (15th): Lizard pose

75 (16th): Plow

76 (17th): Legs up the wall squat 

77 (18th): Revolved side angle

78 (19th): Spider pose

79 (20th): Boat pose

80 (21st): Outdoors (rest day)

Week Four. We're so close!

81 (22nd): Tree pose. Hosted by Monica 

82 (23rd): Half bound lotus forward fold (seated or standing) hosted by Monica

83 (24th): Wide knee child's pose. Hosted by Mandie

84 (25th): Flowering Lotus. Hosted by Mandie

85 (26th): Standing head to knee. Hosted by Jillian

86 (27th): Flying pigeon. Hosted by Jillian

87 (28th): Smile! (rest day) 

Lets see those splits! Post a before and after if you'd like. 

88 (29th): Front splits (left)

89 (30th): Front splits (right)

90 (31st): Straddle/middle splits

side note: We highly recommend warming up with some or all of "the basics" from week one. You can find those poses in the January calendar. 

Whew, that's everything! Don't forget to follow your hosts, post those pictures, and tag them with #SplitsAndOpenHips. You can tag us as well if you'd like.

A huge shoutout to the ever radiant yogawithmayon for designing our banner. 

[healthninja]

One of my favorite Yoga Workouts - so nice in the evening.

[bboyminusone]

First fitness Night

Yin Yoga/ Stretching/ Abs/ Arms and Comedy Central

Dragon pose (Both Legs) Dragon Twist/ High Dragon Pose and downward dog.Pigeon Pose to Earl by Earl Sweatshirt. Each leg 1 min

Also this yogatic video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsPUAppdfqs&feature=relmfu

Abs:

60 crunches. (3x20)

40 Basket sits(2x20)

10 russian twists with 25lb. free weight.

Arms:

60 pushups (3x20)

Stopping cuz its 3:30 in the morning and I have to get up mad early. like 5:30 or 6.