Hip openers

Asanas for Climbers 

Hamstring flexibility improves high stepping and bridging. Flexibility combined with strength to get your foot up to a higher hold is important with this move. Flexible adductor muscles improve outward rotation of the hips enabling the body to move closer into the rock. If you can get your hips closer to the rock more weight will be on your feet and less on your arms. These muscles are also used for drop knees or to stabilize the knees in backsteps. Stretching the gluteus muscles also helps to improve high steps close in front of the body. Climbing heavily uses the Psoas muscle which is the only muscle to attach the lumbar spine to the leg. It acts to lifts the leg upward. If it’s inflexible the extension of the hip joint is limited. Stress creates tension especially in the hip area of the body which holds powerful muscles, tendons and ligaments. Practise the following sequence with a focus on letting go.

Padangusthasana : Big toe posture
5-10 breaths

Padahastasana : Foot-Hand Posture
5-10 breaths

Adho Mukha Svanasana : Downward Dog
5-10 breaths

High Lunge (Step right foot forward)
5-10 breaths

Anjaneyasana : Deep Lunge Pose
Back knee on the floor and then elbows on mat.
5-10 breaths

Utthita Parsvakonasana : Extended Side Angle Pose
5-10 breaths

Adho Mukha Svanasana : Downward Dog
5 breaths

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana : One-Legged King Pigeon Pose
10 – 20 breaths

Adho Mukha Svanasana : Downward Dog (Step back into)
5-10 breaths

REPEAT ON LEFT

Jump feet forward into Uttanasana hold for 5 breaths and then come up into Tadasana

Utthita Trikonasana : Extended Triangle Posture (right side)
5-10 breaths

Ardha Chandrasana : Half Moon Posture
5-10 breaths

Virabhadrasana II : Warrior II
5-10 breaths

Baddha Utthita Parsvakonasana : Bound Extended Side Angle Pose
5-10 breaths

REPEAT ON LEFT

Prasarita Padottanasana I : Wide angle standing forward bend
5-10 breaths

Walk feet in – heel to toe – to do a wide squat. Hold for 5-10 breaths

Supta Virasana : Reclining Hero Pose

Baddha Konasana : Bound Angle walk hands into a forward bend
5-10 breaths

Upavishtha Konasana : Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend
5-10 breaths

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Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana : Revolved Head to Knee Posture (on right)
5-10 breaths

Janu Sirsasana A : Head to Knee Posture (right side)
5-10 breaths

Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana : Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend (right side)
5-10 breaths

Marichyasana A : Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi (right side)
5-10 breaths

REPEAT ON LEFT

Sit in Dandasana : Staff Pose
Move your feet a little more than hip distance away from each other. Move your feet from side to side (like windscreen wipers) to get a rotation effect in the hips. Feels good.

Supine Half Lotus Hip opener/ Thread the Needle Pose (on right)
5-10 breaths

Supta Padangusthasana B : Supine Big Toe Posture B (Use belt/ sling if needed)
5-10 breaths

Supta Padangusthasana C : Supine Big Toe Posture C (Use belt/ sling if needed)
5-10 breaths

Hip circles clockwise and then anti-clockwise

REPEAT ON LEFT

Adho Mukha Svanasana : Downward Dog.
Step right foot forward into Pigeon.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana : One-Legged King Pigeon Pose
NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE EARLIER PIGEON
10 – 20 breaths

Step back into Downward Dog. Step left foot forward into Pigeon (10 -20 breaths).

Ardha Matsyendrasana – Half Lord of the Fishes Pose On right then left
10 – 20 breaths

Note: Sitting spinal twists take tension away from the hamstrings and adductors but the stretch is intensified in the hip joints, pelvis and spine.

Jathara Parivrtti (Abdominal Twist)
On right then left
10 – 20 breaths

Vipassana : Insight Meditation. Focusing on the Breath : 10 minutes.

SAVASANA : 10 minutes.

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