DETAIL + DEPTH | The Dreaded Thigh Stretch This one is painful but good. I hate it, but I love it. Definitely worth your time if you are someone who sits, stands, drives, walks, runs, bikes, or nurses a baby. Backbends such as this, which open the groins and front of the thighs, do not occur in normal, daily life (if you think of how or when adult human beings do this, I owe you a really nice Savasana adjustment if you’re ever in my class!). . Put the body into unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable shapes to maintain agility and flexibility of the mind. . To take this pose: . 1. Place the top of the foot on the seat of a chair. For comfort and protection, place the top of the thigh (do not be mistaken! It is NOT the kneecap!) on a cushion of support. One of my favorite props for this purpose is this handy, firm cushion from @halfmoon_yoga. With the front knee bent and hands on blocks, curl the toes of the back foot into the chair seat. Spread the toes. Lengthen the tailbone down toward the floor, and gently lift the sides of the pubic bone. One side will lift “faster” or more easily than the second side. Is it the side of the front or back leg? Press the fingertips down, lift the side chest, and lengthen from base of spine to crown of head. Relax the eyes, tongue, and jaw. Stay and breathe. . 2. To increase the thigh stretch, slide the bottom knee back toward the chair. If the shin is long in relation to the chair, more cushioning may be needed on the chair seat. Lift the hips up and back, and take the hands behind the hips to the chair seat or side bars of the chair. The pelvis WILL tilt anteriorly toward the floor, since this is a backbend, but energetically resist by lifting the thigh of the back leg. Breathe evenly. . . . . . #detailanddepth #alignmentyoga #yogaalignment #Yoga #iyengaryoga #yogaprops #yogachair #chairyoga #yogapractice #yogaeverydamnday #practiceandalliscoming #yogavideo #postpartumyoga #backbends #propyoga #yogamom #postpartumfitness #yogaforeverybody (at Fashion Island)
