Happy Baby

Supine hip release — hold the feet, knees drawing toward the floor beside the torso, tailbone heavy.

· 2 min read

yoga · hips · low back · supine

The lesson

  1. 1

    Knees in, take hold

    On your back, draw both knees toward your chest and grip the outer edges of your feet — or your ankles, or behind your thighs if the feet are out of reach.

  2. 2

    Ankles over knees

    Soles facing the ceiling, knees drawing down toward the floor either side of your body.

  3. 3

    Tailbone stays heavy

    Only draw the knees as far as your pelvis stays on the mat. Rock slowly side to side if it feels good, shoulders and neck soft.

Happy Baby

How to do it

On your back, draw the knees in toward the chest, then take hold of the outer edges of the feet (or the ankles, or behind the thighs if the feet are out of reach). Stack the ankles over the knees, soles up to the ceiling, and gently draw the knees down toward the floor on either side of the torso. Keep the back of the pelvis and the tailbone heavy on the mat. Rock slowly side to side to massage the low back.

Why it's good for runners

It opens the inner thighs and hips while letting the low back settle into the floor — a release runners rarely get standing. Because the spine is supported, the hips can let go without the back having to stabilize.

Common mistakes

Don't yank the feet down so hard the tailbone lifts and the low back arches off the floor — keep the pelvis grounded and let the knees come down only as far as that allows. Keep the shoulders and neck soft on the mat.

Related

Yoga poses

Knees to Chest

Supine low-back release — both knees drawn in, arms wrapping the shins, back body rounding into the floor.

Yoga poses

Child's Pose

A grounded kneeling rest — hips back to the heels, forehead toward the mat, back body softening with the breath.

Yoga poses

Windshield-Wiper Twist

Knees swaying side to side like wipers — a breath-paced supine spinal and hip release.

Back to Yoga poses