Butterfly Pose: The Ultimate Hip Stretch

Bring the peace and grace of a butterfly into your life with the Butterfly yoga pose.

This pose allows for deep stretching of the hips, as you reach your knees out to the sides like—you guessed it: A butterfly. Badhakoasana, as it’s called in the yogi world, is wonderful for accessing those tight muscles between your legs that are probably overworked… and definitely overlooked.

Maybe you’re stuck at a desk all day or constantly on your feet? Well, according to the Art of Living, Butterfly pose is perfect for reducing fatigue from long hours of sitting or standing. So, go for it. Just start flapping your wings and let the fitness fly!

Targets:

• Hips
• Thighs
• Groin
• Knees

Benefits of Butterfly:

• Works to stretch hips, thighs and groin
• Can relieve stress as part of regular yoga routine
• May alleviate tired muscles from standing or sitting for long periods of time
• Can help reduce pain attributed to PMS and menopause

Tips:

• Remember to keep breathing throughout the pose, paying close attention to the steady movement of air in and out of your body.

Warnings:

• Talk to your doctor before performing Butterfly pose if you are pregnant, have back pain or are recovering from a leg injury.
• Do not attempt to overextend the legs. This may cause injury to the groin or knees.
• Perform pose on a soft surface and stop at any point, if you experience pain.

*Information derived from the Art of Living.