today in #chillasanahhh β‘ bound angle or butterfly pose (that’s baddha konasana for those that prefer sanskrit π) perfect for achy hips and deep stretches of the inner thigh & groin. time to sit with your breath and chill π
why we do it: not only do we get nice stretch of the inner thigh & groin & gentle hip opener, but this pose also brings increased blood flow to this region wile opening the middle girdle region
have a sit with legs comfortably out front. bend one knee and bring the foot toward you; repeat on the other side, allowing feet to come together
pro tip: give your feet a gentle message, really show some love … deeeeelightful. finish with the bottom sides of the feet together and a slight opening on the top side of the feet (see the 1st pic of the lovely Tonya, yogi extraordinaire)
place your hands on the floor behind you with fingers pointed away from you. push your hands into the floor and gently roll shoulders down your back. keep your chest open.
watch your knees naturally come down just a smidge. now your spine is lengthened, neck aligned and that deeper inner thigh/groin stretch is available to you and your hard workin’ bod
breathe deeply. you can place your hands on your knees or as Tonya is doing, place your left hand on your heart and your right hand just below your diaphragm … and breathe
dig this? let’s move on to pic #2, one of my fave modifications … ye ol’ forward fold
FIRST: listen up! there is no *winning* in stretching! this is not a competition. yes, consistency will allow your body to open more deeply but that is not even the goal. the goal, babes, is just to give your body a moment in this hectic timespace reality to sit, restore, breathe deeply, get the blood flowing to areas that need it and allow your rest & digest system to activate
okay, we add the fold to further give some yin-style attention on our back hip area. folding can give relief to tight QL, piriformis, and glute meds.
as always, breathe. be gentle with your edge. allow your body to be where it is today, at this time.
to come out of the fold, on an inhale, roll up one vertebrae at a time. gently allow your feet to disconnect and your legs to straighten. heck, while you’re here, consider rolling back into a full recline for soothing savasana. i’ll turn the lights out when i go … breathe