I'm Nilou and Maya is keeping me company today.
Please sit comfortably.
Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
Place your hands behind you for support.
This is your figure 4,
One of the most effective shapes for releasing the hips and the preformis muscle.
Staying in your figure 4,
Drop your right knee toward the floor,
Then let it rise back up,
Bring your left knee toward the floor.
Just a slow,
Easy rock from side to side.
You might start in the middle of your mat and end up at the front of it.
That's completely normal.
Just keep breathing and let the hips open.
Your performance.
Let's switch sides.
Left ankle over the right knee,
Hands behind you and sit tall.
Same shape,
Just the other side.
Notice if this hip feels different and that's worth paying attention to.
Stay with whatever you're noticing your body is talking to you here.
Same gentle rock.
Drop the left knee toward the floor.
Than the right,
Side to side.
Let your hips soften.
Think of it as a massage for the preformis muscle,
That small but mighty muscle that sits directly over the sciatic nerve.
When this muscle is tight,
It can cause pain all the way down the leg.
Come onto your belly.
Feel the floor holding you completely.
Bend your right knee like a tree pose.
This is apparently also the perfect moment for a belly rub request.
As your right hip is opening,
And you are enjoying this gentle but powerful.
Release.
Roll onto your left side,
Forearm on the floor,
Body long and your right knee stays bent.
Let your right foot rest on the floor and feel the front of your hip opening up like you're creating a space between the top of your thigh and your pelvis.
From here,
Start to lift and lower your left leg.
In small,
Slow pulses.
This practice is about activating your glutes and releasing the hip.
Keep breathing.
And do a few more at your own pace.
Roll back to your belly.
We're switching sides.
Now the left knee bends.
This is your prune.
Close it.
Are opening up the front of your hips with the support of the floor.
Roll to your right side.
Forearm down,
Your left foot rests flat on the floor while you are Make a space to open through the hip joint.
All the way down.
Through the leg.
Gentle pulses,
Small lifts.
Steady breath.
These pulses are activating your inner thigh.
The adopters.
They work quietly in the background to stabilize your hips and pelvis and they rarely get direct attention like this.
Gently roll onto your back.
Take a moment to settle.
Then draw your right knee toward your chest.
Hold just below the knee or behind the thigh,
Wherever is comfortable.
This simple shape creates space in your lower back.
Figure four on your back.
Flex the right foot gently to protect the knee.
Feel that release through the right glute and hip.
Let the gravity do the work for you.
No effort required.
While you're still in supine figure 4,
Drop your left leg.
To the left.
So the figure 4 shape is still there,
You're now in a twist as well.
That's a beautiful compound shape.
It combines the hip release with a spinal twist simultaneously.
Back to center.
This time hug your left knee in.
Same really.
If you need more support on your lower back,
You can bend your right knee and right foot will be flat on the floor.
Lift ankle over the right knee.
The legs of the left foot.
Draw the right knee in if you want more breath.
Left hip,
We are almost there.
This is one of the most recommended shapes for hips.
And for a good reason,
It creates a deeper stretch through the glute and outer hip without any strain on the lower back.
Maintaining your figure 4,
Drop your right knee toward the floor.
Enjoying this beautiful.
.
.
Twist while gravity takes the weight of your leg.
Come back to center and hug both sides.
Knees in.
Gently press your lower back flat into the floor.
And if it feels good,
Slowly bring your chin toward your knees,
Curling into a little ball.
You've done the work,
Now just let the lower back receive a little love.
Rock side to side if that feels good.
Bring the soles of your feet together.
Let your knees fall wide.
Hold your shins slightly.
Now begin a gentle roll from side to side.
You're massaging the sacrum,
The tailbone,
The whole base of the spine and your lower back.
This is one of the most restorative shapes in yoga.
Bring your knees back together and let them fall to the right.
Now take the top leg.
Your left leg.
And slowly extend it straight if that feels good.
You can feel the length through the outer left hip and down the leg.
This final twist is a full release from hip to ankle.
And the last one.
Knees together,
Fall to the left,
Extend the right leg long.
Right here,
Right outer thigh,
All the way down.
Breathe.
This is your final release.
You just gave your hips your lure back.
And your whole body to any reasons to feel better.
That's a really kind thing to do for yourself.
If this felt good,
I'd love to see you on the mat again.
Take great care of yourself.
