Often called standing splits, I usually refer to it as a one-legged forward bend (Eka Pada Uttanasana) as the focus should be not on lifting the leg as high as it will go and instead should be on maintaining alignment of the pelvis and extending through the legs. This is a great pose to challenge your balance, as well as stretch and tone the legs.

Begin in Warrior III with the right leg lifted. Keeping the hips parallel with the floor, lean forward to bring the hands to the floor. The tendency here is for the right hip to hike open and the thigh to rotate externally. Additionally, the left thigh and knee tend to rotate inwardly, which can put the knee at risk. It doesn’t matter how high you get the foot. See if you can keep the hips level so that the right toes point straight down toward the floor and keep the left knee pointing in the same direction as the toes. Iyengar says to keep the toes of the right foot pointed, though I usually flex the foot and reach strongly back through the heel. This helps to keep awareness on keeping the leg extended and the toes pointing down.

Keep both legs straight and hug the left femur with the muscles of the thigh (hamstrings and quads), gently lifting the kneecaps. For those that are very flexible in the hamstrings, you can take the ankle of the standing leg in either one or both hands (both = more of a balance challenge) and gently pull the forehead to the shin. Ground through the standing foot as you try and distribute your weight equally between all corners of the foot.

Stay in the pose for as long as feels comfortable (at least 20-30 seconds) and then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Bhekasana provides a strong stretch on the quads, is a bit of a backbend, and opens the front of the shoulders and chest. It is also one of the few poses in yoga to strongly stretch the tops of the feet. This is the full version of the pose. For a more beginning variation, take one leg at a time in Half Frog.

Begin by lying down on your belly. Bend the legs and lifting the head and chest, reach back for the feet. Beginners can take the outside of the feet here to bring the heels in toward the buttocks. Those with more open thighs will take the inside of the feet with the thumb facing up. On an inhale, again lift the head and shoulders away from the floor. Then, lifting the elbows toward the ceiling, rotate the palms so that the hand presses into the top of the foot with the fingers curled around the toes. The more open the front of the shoulders (and pectoralis minor) are, the easier it is to curl the fingers around the toes here. Also, the more open the quads are to begin the easier this becomes. Taking Virasana before Frog can be a great preparatory pose as it a similar action in the legs, just flipped over.

As flexibility allows, you can take the heels to the outside of the hip and press them down toward the floor (being careful not to stress the knee). Keep the tailbone tucked and make sure the knees stay in line with the hips. Also check to make sure that the thigh is centered (neither internally or externally rotated). If you feel any pain in the knees, you might need to come out, stretch out the legs and come in again with more attention to your alignment. If you still feel pain, come out and take a different pose or simply rest.

Hold for as long as feels comfortable here, trying to lengthen through the low back as you reach the sternum forward and breath evenly. Once you are done, release the feet to extend the legs and press back to downward dog for a few breaths.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Note: The traditional version of revolved side angle has the back heel on the floor and one arm extended overhead. This can be difficult for most people to achieve without undue tension, so I will describe a modified version here.

Begin by coming into a high lunge with the left foot in front. Keep the right leg active and keep the tailbone gently tucked. With an exhale, lean forward and lengthen all the way from the right foot out through the crown of the head. I generally recommend spending at least a round of breath finding this length before coming into the twist. As in most twists, it is more important to find length in the spine than more rotation. Lift the back of the right knee up toward the ceiling and strongly press back through the right heel.

Begin to twist to the left, bringing your right upper arm to the outside of the left thigh. As hip flexibility increases, the thigh will move up the arm closer toward the armpit so that eventually the thigh hugs in to the torso. Don’t rush this though. If you have to lose length in the spine to get the thigh further up the arm, you have gone too far. Try and keep the hips level as you twist. Some people like to take their left hand and rotate the left thigh outward, pressing the femur toward the mat. Keeping the legs steady and engaged, bring both hands together so that the forearms create a straight line. You can gently press the palms together for a little encouragement in the twist, but let the twist originate mainly from the internal muscles of the torso. Cranking on the arms to go deeper into the twist can put the spine at risk. Be gentle.

To take it further, you can open up the arms, bringing the right hand to the floor or to a block, and reaching the left hand up toward the ceiling. For some, a bind might be available, reaching around the back with the left arm and under the left thigh with the right arm. Again, don’t try and crank your way further into your twist. Make sure to keep a focus on lengthening your spine to create space, then twisting around that space.

Because the torso is quite compressed in this pose, breathing can be more difficult. Just keep the breath as steady and even as possible. Hold for as long as feels comfortable (at least 30 seconds or so), then repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

A balancing pose with an added twist, revolved half moon strengthens the legs, core, and lower back, while lengthening the hamstrings, outer hips, and pelvis. Make sure you are warmed up for this pose, as it can be quite demanding. Use props as needed.

We will begin by finding Virabhadrasana 3 with the right leg lifted. Bring the right hand to the floor or to a block and bring the left hand to the sacrum. Ground the standing foot, pressing evenly into the big toe mound, heel, inner, and outer edges. Hug the femur (thigh bone) with the thigh muscles so that the knee cap is drawn up toward the hips. Keep the hips level so that the left toes point straight down to the floor and make sure both legs are straight. If this is not possible, bring more height underneath the right hand.

From here, lengthen your spine, reaching the crown of the head forward and keeping the front of the chest open. Keep the shoulder blades comfortably drawn away from the ears. Don’t feel like you need to do more than this. This can be plenty of work right here, lengthening the spine and extending through the legs. To come into the full pose, begin to open the torso to the left. Try and keep the pelvis stable here so that the twist happens in the upper body around the axis of the spine. We are looking to keep the hips not only level, but square to the front of the mat. If you find that either leg bends or that you lose straightness of the spine, you have gone too far. If this means you only twist two degrees, then only twist two degrees.

Eventually, if it is available, reach the left hand up to the ceiling and gaze up toward the left palm. If gazing up to the left palm strains the neck, simply gaze out to the side. Stay here and breath for at least 30 seconds (more if possible) using the breath to find openness and lightness in the torso, then step back for a few breaths in downward dog or child’s pose before switching sides, holding for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Eka Pada Galavasana (sometimes called flying crow) is a strong arm balance that opens the outer hips and strengthens the arms, chest, and core like crazy. It’s an advanced pose, so you might have to work up to it over time, but once you get it, it’s exhilarating.

To begin, stand in Tadasana, take the right foot and place it right above and to the outside of the left thigh. The right knee should open to the side much like in tree pose. Begin to bend the standing leg and lean the torso forward over the right shin. Essentially you are taking pigeon in the right leg now, so the more open and warmed up your outer hips, the easier this is. As you bring your chest down toward the right leg, you want to place your arms in front of the shin as close in to the armpits as possible. Hook your right foot around the left upper arm, locking the shin into place and press the right knee into the right upper arm.

Once the arms are in place, bring the palms down to the floor shoulder distance apart. Gaze in front of the fingers about 6 inches or so, keeping the heart open and sternum moving forward. As you begin to transfer weight into the hands, the left foot will eventually lift up off the ground with the knee bent. This might be the final pose right here and can be plenty to work with.

If you feel comfortable and steady here, you can then begin to work on extending the left leg behind you. This requires some serious connection to your core. Extend the sternum forward as you extend the leg back and keep the elbows in. The right shin often begins to slip off here for many people, so you have to make sure to really lock the foot.

Once you have found your version of the pose, hold for as long as feels comfortable, come back up and then take the second side for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Begin by lying down on your belly. Lifting your head and chest off the floor, place your right forearm on the floor parallel to the front of the mat. Bend the left leg and reach back for the left foot. Beginners can take the outside of the foot here to bring the heel in toward the buttocks. Those with more open thighs will take the inside of the foot with the thumb facing up. Then, lifting the elbow toward the ceiling, rotate the left palm so that the hand presses into the top of the foot with the fingers curled around the toes.

As flexibility allows, you can take the left heel to the outside of the hip and press it down toward the floor (being careful not to stress the knee). Keep the tailbone tucked and make sure the left knee stays in line with the left hip. Also check to make sure that the thigh is centered (neither internally or externally rotated).

If you would like to deepen the stretch (adding a little bit of a backbend and deepen the opening on the quadriceps), you can take the pose with the right palm on the floor and the right arm straight, lifting the upper body further away from the floor. Be careful to open the front of the chest and lift the sternum so that you don’t compress the lower spine.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

Ardha Baddha Padma Pashimottanasana is a forward bend that stretches both the hamstrings (of the front leg) and the thigh (quads and adductors of the back leg). Like all lotus and half lotus poses, take your time and be gentle with the knees. Trying to force your way into the poses can lead to problems down the road.

Starting from Dandasana, bend the right leg and swing the knee out to the side and down. By first releasing the adductors in this way, you reduce the stress on the knee in the final pose. Point the right foot and then bring the right heel in toward the naval (as close as you can get it) and the toes in toward the hip with the sole of the foot facing upwards. This higher up in the hip you can get the foot, the easier it will be to find the bind. The left leg stays extended with the knee and the toes pointing straight up.

Extend the right arm out to the side, then reach around the back with the right palm facing back. Take ahold of the big toe with the index and middle finger. Don’t force the bind. It is better to continue working in other poses to open the hips and shoulders then to try and force your way into the bind, potentially damaging the knee ligaments. Be patient.

If you can comfortably take the bind, bring the right knee down toward the floor at about a 45 degree angle. Extend the femur out away from the hip socket and make sure that knee isn’t strained. Inhale and reach up with the left arm. Square the hips and the shoulders to the extended left leg and with an exhale reach forward for the left foot. Bend first at the hips keeping a straight spine, then you can bend a little at the waist, making sure not to strain the lower back. Try and reach the belly over the right foot. Keep the sitbones grounded and spread and draw the shoulder blades lightly down the back.

Stay for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat for the same amount of time on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

From Pashimottanasana, bend your right leg back to bring the right heel to the outside of the right hip. Lift the hips up off the floor slightly and use your hand to roll the right calf out of the way. Ground both sit bones into the floor here. If your quads are tight (as is the case with many runners and cyclists), lift the sit bones by sitting on a blanket or other prop (you can place the blanket underneath both sit bones or just the left one). The right foot should stay on the floor however.

Be respectful of your knees here. Honor any pain that comes up by either adding more height, or finding a different pose to take. It is more important to keep the hips level then to have the sit bones reach the floor. To lengthen the quads, you can spend a little bit of time in Virasana each day. Essentially, we are taking Virasana on just one side here, but the addition of a forward bend can mean we don’t pay as much attention to the folded leg as we should. I therefore recommend taking Virasana on its own until you have lengthened the quads enough to be comfortable and know that you are not endangering your knees. If you have questions, consult with your teacher.

Ground both sitbones and sit up as straight and tall as you can. Keeping awareness on the hips so they stay even, reach forward for the left foot. Try and reach forward first with your belly button (bend from the hips and reach forward with the sternum). Then you can let the head come down a bit (bending slightly from the waist) though keeping your primary focus on lengthening the spine. Try and keep the torso even so that both sides are the same distance away from the floor.

Extend out through the left heel. The left toes and the left kneecap should both be pointing straight up toward the ceiling. Hold in the pose for at least 30 seconds, then switch to the other side and repeat for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

This relatively simple pose can be deeply satisfying and is an excellent way to cultivate an awareness of your outer hip. (note: There are many different variations that various people call seated pigeon. This is just one of them)

Begin in Dandasa. Bend the left leg and bring the left foot either into the right hand or the inner right elbow. Take the left hand to the knee or if available, wrap the left arm around the leg and clasp hands in front. With both sit bones firmly grounded into the mat, extend through the right heel and press the back of the right thigh into the floor. To begin, draw the middle of the shin in toward the sternum so that the left shin is perpendicular to the right leg.

Sit up as tall as you can and stay open across the front of the shoulders. You want to avoid slouching in the lower back as this can put strain on the spine and also denies you the stabilizing core work of this pose. If your hamstrings are tight, you can bend the right knee to release the hamstrings, allowing you to sit up straighter.

Since the leg isn’t static here, you can move the knee side to side and even change the angle of the knee to explore different angles of stretch. By exploring different positions you can observe which areas of your outer hip are open and mobile and which areas feel tight and might need a little extra attention. Developing this awareness in the seated variation can help you find the best angle for you when taking King Pigeon Pose.

Once you find an angle that works for you, stay here for as long as you like, making sure to sit up as tall as you can the entire time. When you are done, switch sides and hold for the same amount of time.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!

There are several variations of Sundial with the bottom leg in varying positions. I’ll describe the straight leg variation, though feel free to play around and see what works best for you.

Start in Dandasana. Bend the left leg and bring it in toward the chest. Thread the left arm underneath to take the outer left ankle/ shin with the left hand and take the left foot in the right hand. Pressing the knee back to open up the left hip, work the left shoulder as far underneath as you can, squeezing in with the left thigh to keep the leg high up on the shoulder or upper arm (whatever is accessible for you). I generally like to take a few breaths to open up the hip, moving the knee around a bit before bringing the shoulder underneath, though that is completely up to you. Once you have worked the shoulder underneath, place the left hand on the floor and sit up as straight as you can.

Take the outside of the left foot in the right hand and with an inhale begin to straighten the leg. You do not need to get it all the way straight here. It doesn’t matter. As you lightly pull the left leg in toward the torso, swivel the upper body open to the right and look up underneath the right armpit. Keep the right leg extended, pressing through the heel and keeping the thigh active. Your left sit bone will probably lift off the floor a little bit, which is fine, but see if you can bring a little bit of that weight back to keep the pose stable.

Keep the breath even and steady and stay for as long as you feel comfortable, then repeat on the second side.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you or see you at one of my classes!