Each of the various types of yoga asanas offers specific benefits. The poses together provide a complete system for improving physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellness. For a balanced practice, include a wide variety of different types of poses.
There are several hip opening poses in yoga, from beginner’s poses to more advanced asanas. The variety of hip openers allows you to find beneficial asanas that are designed for your individual level of practice. As with any yoga poses, go slow and don’t force yourself into hip openers or any other pose.
There are hip opening poses that are performed in standing, seated and supine poses. Beginners should try child’s pose, cobbler’s pose, happy baby pose, the warrior poses and triangle pose. Intermediate and advanced level yoga students should incorporate eagle pose, half moon pose, lotus and one legged king pigeon pose into their practice for full hip opening benefits.
The hip opening poses are challenging, but offer a variety of physical and emotional benefits. For many people, the hips tend to be tight, particularly if you spend long periods of time sitting, whether on long trips or at work. When the hips get tight, you may experience pain and soreness in the hips, pelvis and even in the lower back.
The hip opening poses work to open the joints and muscles around the hips. These poses help to keep the pelvis and hips in proper alignment, which prevents strain and tightness in that area. The results of these poses are felt quickly and you will find your range of motion in the hips improves soon after adding hip opener poses to your exercise routine.
The hip opening poses offer several emotional benefits, in addition to the physical benefits. Hip openers are good for relieving stress and anxiety. The emotional benefits are felt as soon as the tension held in the hips is released. For this reason, hip opening poses are often included in yoga classes designed for stress relief.