Three Legged Dog Hip Opener Gentle Yoga Flow

If tight hamstrings are the most common area I get asked to work on, hip openers are the second. Seriously, not kidding. Hamstrings and hips, closely followed by shoulders. There are so many ways to release muscles, stretch, and gain flexibility but for hips, my favorite is a three legged dog hip opener. Doing this as a short 15-minute gentle slow flow makes it something you can add to your workout routine. Or, simply slot into your busy day.

If you can’t view the embedded video above, you can view the video on YouTube. Maybe add it to a playlist? Above all, remember to subscribe to my channel. New videos are uploaded regularly. However, for exclusive longer format videos sign up for my Patreon community. Each month we explore poses, transitions, and trouble areas. Patrons also get early access to all my videos, along with lots of other benefits.

Three Legged Dog Hip Opener Yoga Flow

This 15-minute yoga class is easy to fit into your day, and a great way to limber up after sitting. So get on your mat and give it a try. Begin this three legged dog hip opener flow in tadasana, mountain pose. Sit into chair pose for a few breaths before folding into uttansana, forward fold.

Step the right foot back and take a few breaths in warrior 2 before leaning back into reverse/dancing warrior. These two externally rotated poses are a great warm-up for our three legged dog hip opener. Take the hands forward and lift the left foot up and back into 3 legged dog.

Then play with bending the left leg and revolving slightly into the three legged dog hip opener variation. From here, recenter into a regular downward facing dog, drop the knees and sit into childs pose. Rise to a kneeling salute, then back to childs pose. Reverse the flow into downward dog and forward fold, before rising to tadasana.

In the follow-along video, we go through each pose step by step. And build everything slowly and mindfully. This is also a great class to energize and invigorate and help boost your creativity. Give it a try!

Like this post? PIN it to share with others!

Want more yoga?

If you’re looking for real yoga for real bodies, consider joining my Patreon. Each month I release two yoga classes exclusively for my Patreon community. On the other hand, other ways to find more yoga with me are signing up for my 7-day yoga challenge, or subscribing to my YouTube channel.

Questions

• Do you have 3-legged dog in your yoga practice?
• How open are your hips?
• Are hip openers something you enjoy?