These flexibility-focused yoga poses help release tense muscles and increase mobility. Discover how regular practice may improve your range of motion and lessen tension.
It's important to practice yoga consistently and gradually to increase your flexibility without pushing your body into excessive poses. Yoga can help you become more flexible, which will assist your general health by lowering your chance of injury, increasing joint mobility, lowering stress levels, and improving your recuperation. The good news is that practicing some yoga positions for just 10 to 20 minutes a day can significantly increase flexibility.
These nine yoga positions can help you move more easily and avoid injuries by releasing tension in tight spots like your shoulders, hips, and hamstrings.
Yoga for Flexibility at a Glance
- Focus: Yoga exercises for tense shoulders, hamstrings, and hips
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Time: 10 to 20 minutes
- Benefits: Improved mobility, posture, and relaxation
How to Use This Routine
Try performing three to four of these postures every day, holding each pose for 30 to 60 seconds, if you're using yoga to increase your strength, flexibility, and mobility. For a full-body mobility session, you can also perform all nine poses. Both methods are useful as yoga stretches for beginners, as a warm-up before more strenuous exercises, or as a means to progressively improve flexibility over a few weeks.
The Best Flexible Yoga Poses
While every yoga practice may improve mobility and flexibility in some manner, some poses are especially beneficial for releasing stiffness in the shoulders, hips, and hamstrings—areas that can restrict your range of motion when flexibility is lacking. These nine postures offer further release and flexibility in these particular places.
Reclined Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)
Opens the hamstrings and calves.
- Lie on your back, keep your feet flat on the ground, and bend your knees.
- Raise your right knee and encircle the ball of your right foot with a yoga strap.
- Straighten your left leg on the ground.
- Keeping your right leg as straight as possible, slowly raise it toward the sky while flexing your foot. This should be felt in your calves, hips, and hamstrings.
- How high you elevate your leg is irrelevant. The objective is to hold the strap's ends in your hands while attempting to maintain it as straight as you can.
- After a few breaths, place the strap on your left foot, drop your right leg gradually, and repeat.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Improves back strength and spinal flexibility.
- On the ground, lie face down. Put your hands flat on the floor just below your shoulders and bend your elbows.
- As you inhale, gradually lift your body off the ground while maintaining a neutral neck position and keeping your gaze on the ground rather than the sky.
- Breathe out and return to a lower position, placing your chest on the floor.
- Repeat this several times.
Advice: Try the baby cobra first if you're new or have back trouble. You only raise yourself halfway up in the baby cobra, not completely straightening your arms, and your elbows are bent and near your ribcage.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Deeply opens the front of the body.
- Start on your stomach with your hands facing up and your arms by your sides.
- Bring your heels closer to your hips while bending your knees.
- Grasp your ankles with your hands as you reach back.
- Use a yoga strap, a sheet, or a small towel if your hands are unable to reach your ankles.
- Pull your heels away from your hips and gradually raise your thighs off the floor while you take a breath. Your shoulders will automatically draw back and your chest will rise as a result.
Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
Improves balance and stretches the shoulders.
- Keep your arms by your sides and your feet flat on the floor.
- You can choose to sit with your spine straight after lifting your left leg and crossing it over your right calf.
- Bend your elbows to bring your hands closer to your face while crossing your left arm beneath your right.
- These nine yoga positions can help you move more easily and avoid injuries by releasing tension in tight spots like your shoulders, hips, and hamstrings.
- Make sure your arms are positioned perpendicular to the floor. Your shoulder blades should start to extend at this stage.
- Verify that your fingers are pointing up toward the ceiling.
- Press your hands together and tighten your arms.
- After 15 to 30 seconds of holding this posture, swap arms and legs.
Advice: To start, only cross your arms. Later, you may practice the balancing part with crossed legs.
Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Lengthens the hamstrings and relieves tension in the back.
- Place your hands on your hips and stand with your feet flat on the ground.
- Breathe out and lean forward from the hips rather than the waist. Keep your knees straight (not locked), but bend them slightly if needed.
- Place your palms or fingertips on the floor or clasp your hands behind your neck to add more weight to your torso and deepen the stretch.
- Your eyes should be between your thighs as you hang your head.
- Hold this pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
Tip: When you bend forward, make sure your hips are stacked over your ankles and keep your knees slightly bent (or bend them more if you feel too much strain on your hamstrings). While in this pose, grab opposite elbows with your hands and let your torso hang, swaying from side to side.
Seated Wide-Legged Fold (Upavistha Konasana)
Opens the inner thighs and hips.
- Begin by sitting on the ground with your legs spread out in a "V" shape in front of you.
- Raise your hands above your head and keep your back straight as you bend forward.
- Exhale.
- Reach your hands towards your feet. If you can't reach your feet, grab your shins or ankles.
- You can also use a strap on each foot to help pull your torso closer to your legs.
- Inhale and, as you exhale, reach further towards your feet or toes.
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and shoulders.
- Begin on all fours in a tabletop pose – hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Lift your knees off the floor so your legs are straight and your feet are flat on the floor.
- Your arms should also be straight, with your palms flat on the floor.
- Your biceps should be near your ears, and you should feel a stretch in your shoulder blades.
- Gently pedal your feet so your heels alternately touch the floor.
- Inhale and exhale, and remain inverted for at least five breaths.
Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana)
A deep hamstring stretch with hip alignment.
- From Downward-Facing Dog (see above), step your right foot forward so it's between your hands and you're in a runner's lunge pose. Both feet should be facing the front of the mat.
- Lower your left heel and rotate it outward about 45 degrees.
- Straighten both legs as much as possible, and keeping your back straight, inhale and bring your forehead toward your right shin. (If necessary, rest your hands on blocks.)
- Exhale and bring your torso closer to your right knee.
- Repeat for five breaths before switching legs.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Relieves hip tension and improves mobility.
- Lift your right leg toward the ceiling as you begin in Downward-Facing Dog (see above).
- Bring that leg forward toward your hands and place your right knee on the floor, positioning it outside your right hand, and your right foot behind your left hand. Your shin should be perpendicular to your body.
- Lower your left knee to the mat, making sure your left leg is straight behind you.
- In the direction of the front of your yoga mat, square your hips. Slowly lower your torso and lean over your right leg.
- Bring your forehead toward the floor.
- Hold for five breaths, then switch legs.
Tip: If your front leg and glutes don't fully touch the floor, use blocks or padding under your hips for cushioning and support.
Benefits of Flexibility
When trying to establish consistency in your yoga practice, it's helpful to understand what you're working toward and the benefits it offers. Research shows that improving flexibility through yoga has several key advantages:
- Increases joint mobility and posture
- Improves muscle endurance
- Reduces the risk of injury
- Improves relaxation and stress relief
How long it takes to become flexible varies from person to person and depends on factors such as your current level of mobility and range of motion. However, wherever you are in your journey, consistent practice of 10 to 20 minutes typically improves flexibility in four to eight weeks. For lasting results, combine your yoga-for-flexibility practice with mindful breathing and active recovery days.