Surfers Series: Three Yin Yoga Poses for Hip Opening:
Welcome back to the Surfers series,
Are you putting any of the practices into your routine? How are they helping?
Here is a very short practice for you to try. Three Yin Yoga Poses for Hip Opening
Remember in Yin -
find your edge- the place of resistance, not pain, yield and allow the body to invite you deeper.
pause, stay a little time, observe and witness and find a rhythmic breath,
notice if your edge changes and adapt if necessary
move slowly out of a pose and take a moment to notice what feels different, and add a little savasana in between or at the end
You may need props to support you so you can yield a little deeper. Use time and gravity not force or push, ever.
1. Butterfly Pose or a Crossed Legged Pose
Sit on your mat, bring the soles of your feet together or try cross legged version in photo 1, and let your knees open out to the sides. If you are rounding in your back then prop up on. cushion /towel or bolster to raise the hips, which helps open the hips and changes the alignment of the hip joint and also elevate the spines. Hold onto your feet or ankles, with your hands or a strap, bring your heels as close to your body as possible. Lean forward with a straight back. Lift the chest and feel buoyant and then encourage feeling heavy on the pelvis and legs. This pose is great for opening up the hips in external rotation, and lengthens the inner thighs, enhancing your balance on the board and maneuverability in the water.
2. Winged Dragon Pose: Photo 2
Begin in a lunge position with your right foot forward. Lower your left knee to the ground, and place one hand on the ground, or yoga bricks, inside of your right foot. Pull up the arch of the front foot to roll the foot over onto the outside edge, helping to work the arches of the foot and for opening up the front hip into external rotation. Place the other hand, assisting with external rotation of the bent leg. You may notice you also deepen into a Psoas stretch of the back hip. You can stay here or come down onto your forearms for a different but similar stretch. The Winged Dragon pose deeply opens the hip flexors and helps to improve both your paddling power and speed of pop-ups. And strengthens the feet for stabilising you on a wobbly board.
3. Sleeping Swan Pose: photo 3
Start in Downward-Facing Dog, lift your right leg up into the air, then bring your right knee towards your right wrist while angling your right foot towards the left, any amount that is suitable for your hip and knee architecture. Be mindful and respectful. Slide your left leg back, straighten the knee, and point the toes. Allowing the hips to face forward, but understand the two pelvic halves are doing totally opposite moves, understanding this about your pelvic anatomy will help you ease into better and healthier stretching. The Sleeping Swan pose is excellent for opening up the hips and easing tension in the lower back, which often gets strained during surfing if you relax down to the floor, or you can enhance extension by lifting the chest up and press into the arms. Remember the intention is important to how your chose your positioning.
Sleeping Swan Pose and Half Pigeon Pose are essentially the same asana with different names in different yoga practices. They are both versions of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, which translates to One-Legged King Pigeon Pose.
In Yin Yoga, it is called the Sleeping Swan Pose. The goal of this practice is to hold poses for a longer duration (usually 3-5 minutes) to target the deep connective tissues like the fascia, ligaments, joints, and bones. It's less about the muscles and more about stimulating and removing blockages in the myofascial meridians in the body.
In contrast, the Pigeon Pose in more active yoga practices like Hatha or Ashtanga Yoga is often referred to as the Half Pigeon Pose. These forms of yoga typically have more focus on muscle engagement and sometimes incorporate more advanced versions of the pose, like bending the back leg and reaching for the foot or ankle for a deep quadriceps stretch.
Both poses, whether performed in a Yin or Yang style of yoga, offer benefits of opening the hips, stretching the thighs, and improving flexibility, which can be greatly beneficial for surfing.
Finish in savasana, photo 4, observe how you feel and the subtle changes that may have occurred, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Enjoy
Sue xx
For more information on Yin and how and why it can help
Why Yin Yoga Is Essential in Today's Go-Go-Go World
I look forward to seeing you on the mat in person, online or book your personal training session with me direct.
