10-Minute Yoga For Your Hip Flexors And Quads

Thanks to my Yin Yoga classes I’ve been paying a lot more attention to my hip flexors in my at home practice. I’ve noticed that no matter how conscious you are of the importance of moving around and not sitting in one position for long periods of time, when you’re ‘in the groove’ of working you can sometimes find that you haven’t moved for hours and then when you do finally get up your body can tend to feel tight in some places.

In my case it’s usually my neck and shoulders and my hips that need a little love. At least with my neck and shoulders there are exercises or yoga poses that I can do at my desk but when it comes to my hips I need to step away from the laptop and onto the mat.

Starting in Reclined Butterfly:

• Laying with your back on the mat bring the soles of your feet together and then move them slightly away from you.
• Slide two foam blocks under your knees to give you a bit of support to your knees.
• Stay here for a few breaths.

Happy Baby Pose:

• Still lying with your back on the mat, exhale and bring your knees gently towards your belly.
• Inhale and grip the outsides of your feet with your hands.
• Open your knees out so they’re wider than your torso and then bring them in towards you a little so they’re just under your armpits.
• With your ankles directly over your knees, flex your heels and gently push your feet up into your hands.
• For a slight variation, keeping one leg up high bring the other leg down onto mat and stretch the leg to the back of the mat and into Half Happy Baby Pose.

Supine Spinal Twist

• Lying on your back, bring your arms out to the sides with the palms facing down.
• Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left knee.
• Exhale drop the right knee over to the left side of your body, giving your spine and lower back a nice gentle twist.
• Keeping your shoulders flat on the mat breathe into the posture.
• Breathe and hold for 5-10 breaths.
• To come out of the pose inhale and roll your hips back to the floor, exhale and the leg back down to the floor and then repeat on the other side.

Coming back to Happy Baby Pose, rock from side to side and then pull both knees towards your chest and circle each knee up to 5 times in one direction and the 5 times in the opposite direction.

Hugging your knees, rock back and forth and bring yourself up into a seated position.

Cat/Cow:

• Coming onto all fours with your hands out in front of you.
• Keeping your arms straight, place your palms directly under your shoulders maintaining a neutral spine.
• Inhale and drop your belly and roll your shoulders back into Cow Pose.
• Exhale, press your palms into the floor and arch your back, dropping your tailbone into Cat Pose.
• Repeat for 5 to 10 breaths.

Crescent Pose:

• From all fours sit back on your heels in Hero Pose and then step your right leg forward while keeping your left leg bent on the mat.
• Put your hands on your knees to maintain balance and then raise your arms and back slightly.
• Repeat on the other side.

Downward Dog:

• Coming back to all fours with your knees hip distance apart and your hands shoulder width apart and fingers facing forward.
• Move your hands a little further forward, tuck your toes under, lift your hips to the ceiling and straighten your legs.
• Press your fingers into the mat and drop your heels down towards the mat.

Bridge Pose:

• Lying flat on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and your arms by your side and palms facing upwards, bend your knees and place your feet firmly into the mat.
• Bring your heels towards your buttocks and point your knees towards the ceiling.
• Inhale and begin to raise your buttocks off the floor.
• Tighten your buttock and thigh muscles and push your pelvis, lower back and front of body towards the ceiling so your body is resting on your shoulders.
• On the exhale move your arms so they are under your body, from here you can place your hands on the back of your waist to provide extra support ensuring your upper arms are still in contact with the floor.
• To come out of the posture, exhale and bring your arms down by your sides with your palms facing downwards and uncurl your spine slowly back down to the floor.
• Relax your back and then stretch your legs out in front of you, keeping your arms relaxed by your sides.