Yin Yoga IT Stretch
For this sequence, I recommend one block and a strap. If you don’t have any yoga props, no worries! A belt is always a good substitute for a strap, preferably one without a heavy metal buckle (no swinging injuries here!). For a block, a stack of books works perfectly fine, or a sturdy pillow, or even a rolled-up blanket or towel. For this sequence, props are not essential, but will assist in getting into and holding the poses.
In addition to the usual focus of yin on hips and spinal stretching, this sequence specifically targets the Iliotibial band running from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee. The IT band is a vastly under stretched part of the body in my opinion, given its importance in stabilizing the knee.
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​Start in Wide-Legged Childs Pose. Bring your knees as wide as is comfortable for your low back. Reach your arms out in front of you, palms down. Relax your elbows, shoulders, chest and belly. Hold for 4 minutes.
Toe Pose with Cow-Face Arms. Tuck your toes and sit back on your heels. You may need to give your pinky toes some assistance! Reach your right arm overhead and bend at the elbow, bringing your right hand behind your back. Bend your left arm and bring the hand behind your back, clasping your fingers. If you can’t reach, use your strap, or even grab onto your clothing. Keep a straight spine here, not rounding your back, and pressing your right arm away from your head. Hold for 1 minute, then switch your arms and hold for another minute, 2 minutes total. You can come up to knees to relieve pressure but come back into it as soon as you can.
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​Take a moment and shake out your feet before moving on.
Ankle pose. With tops of your feet flat on the mat sit back on your heels. Bring your arms behind you and roll back onto the tops of your feet, lifting your knees. Hold for 1 minute. Relax your shoulders, and lower knees to relieve pressure.
Butterfly Pose. Bring your feet together in front of you. Your legs should be bent about 90 degrees, getting more into the hips, less into the groin. Hinge forward and allow your back to round. Do NOT pull yourself into the pose! Relax your arms. I recommend turning your palms face up to resist the temptation to pull. You’re using gravity to deepen your fold. If you have a deep fold you can thread your arms under your legs. You can let your head dangle or place a block under your forehead. Hold for 5 minutes.
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​Press yourself up, bring your knees together and either windshield wiper or shake them out to release.
Shoelace with Eagle Arms. Bend both legs, stacking your knees on top of each other. Start with your right leg on top. If your hips are tight and your knees don’t stack, you can either modify with a block under the top knee or straighten your left leg. Wrap your right arm under left, same as in Eagle pose, and gently fold forward. Rest your elbows on your knees, or beyond, resting elbows or forearms on a block. Stretch your hands away from your face. Hold for 3 minutes, then switch sides.
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​Shake out legs between sides.
Half Saddle. This is a great release for the hip flexors and quadriceps. With one leg stretched out long, bend the other knee so your foot is outside of your hip, top of the foot pressing into the mat. Recline back onto your elbows or all the way to your back, keeping both glutes in contact with the floor. Arms can be by your side or overhead, clasping opposite elbows. Hold for 3 minutes per side.
Full Saddle. Be very mindful of the knees in this pose!! This is a great pose for gently stretching the ligaments of the knees to make them more elastic, but if you feel any electricity or pinching back off. Knees should be no wider than your hips. As with half saddle, both glutes reach to the floor, and only if they maintain contact should you recline. Hold for 3 minutes.
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​To release, SLOWLY rise and either bring your legs out front and shake them out or stretch back into down dog.
Reclined Swan Pose Left side. Start lying on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Cross your left ankle over your right knee, pressing your left knee away from you. Keep a gentle flex of the left foot to avoid over stretching the ligaments in the left knee. For a deeper stretch, clasp your hands or a strap behind your right thigh and draw it towards the chest. Some arm strength is needed here, contracting your biceps, but relax your shoulders into the floor. Hold for 3 minutes.
IT Stretch. Keeping your left ankle over the right knee, release the right foot back to the floor. Allow both knees to fall to the right until your left foot is flat on the floor, twisting from the low back. Left knee is still pressed away from the body. You will likely feel this stretch directly in the IT band on the outside of the left hip. To increase the stretch, grab your left foot with your right hand, drawing it closer to your head. Keep your chest facing the ceiling. Hold for 3 minutes.
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​Release your knees back to the ceiling and repeat the Reclined Swan and IT Stretch on the right side.
Bananasana. A great passive full body stretch. Lying on your back with knees bent, gently lift your hips and move them to the right side of your mat and shift your shoulders to the left. Stretch your legs out with your feet to the left edge of your mat, creating a banana shape with your body. Your right hip and right shoulder should stay in contact with the mat. Clasp your right wrist with your left. To intensify, cross your right ankle over left and grab your right elbow instead of your wrist. Hold for 3 minutes and switch sides.
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​Bring your hips back to center and hug your knees to your chest.
Cat Pulling Its Tail. Lying on your back with your left leg bent, lift your right leg and wrap the strap over your right foot. Straiten your right leg and bring both sides of the strap into your left hand. Let the lifted leg fall to left, chest stays facing the ceiling. If you don’t have a strap or belt, grab your right leg with your left had wherever it’s accessible – the foot, calf or thigh. Then reach your right hand down to grab your left foot. Once in the pose, focus on relaxing your shoulders, belly and hips. 3 minutes per side.
Savasana. Lie in any way that completely relaxes your body, traditionally with arms and legs extended and as wide as is comfortable. Palms up, fingers gently curled, toes falling open. If this is uncomfortable on your low back, a bolster or rolled towel under the knees is helpful, or you can keep your feet flat on the floor and let your knees fall inward. Hold for at least 5 minutes.
Thank you for joining me today! I hope you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Namaste.