Lizard Pose Doesn’t Just Stretch You Head To Tail—It’s An *Amazing* Hip-Opener, Too

Lizard pose is so-named as a result of “it resembles a lizard with its entrance leg crawling ahead, and the again leg resembles a tail,” explains Desi Bartlett, CPT, E-RYT, registered yoga trainer and creator of desibodymind.com. “The arms and fingers can even tackle the form of a lizard in several positions, and are made to appear like a lizard crawling.”

In Sanskrit, the pose is known as utthan pristhasana: “uttha” can imply stretched out and “pristha” can imply rear, or again of the physique. It’s also typically known as low lunge variation. In yin yoga, the pose is known as dragon flying low.

And whereas this yoga asana is taught in decrease degree lessons, it isn’t straightforward!

“These new to the apply of yoga typically discover themselves on this intermediate-advanced apply accidentally,” notices Tamika Caston-Miller, co-owner of The Ranch Houston, an city farm and wellness house in Texas. When introducing the pose to newcomers, she tries to encourage practitioners to go to their “Goldilocks place,” explaining, “that is the place they will apply with a fair breath, slightly than going to their finish vary of movement.”

Lizard pose does greater than increase mobility and enhance flexibility, although. It comes chock-full of deeper yogic classes, as a result of reptiles occur to be grasp yoga practitioners. From their means to freeze and preserve sources to shedding of outdated pores and skin, we are able to study loads about calmness by channeling these versatile creatures.

Lizard pose advantages

In case you’re not used to doing lizard pose frequently, you is perhaps tempted to skip it for extra acquainted hip-openers or different foundational yoga poses. However lizard pose has its personal distinctive advantages that should not be neglected.

Flexibility (bodily and in any other case)

Along with hip and backbone flexibility (try that lower-body stretch, in any case), lizard pose teaches us to be adaptable. Consider the chameleon who modifications colour to match its surroundings. There are quite a few methods to adapt the posture to fulfill your wants, and figuring out which model is greatest for you (extra on these beneath) will make you far more versatile than getting your elbows to the bottom.

Breath management

Lizard pose teaches us how one can discover stillness within the midst of depth by way of breath management. There’s a reptilian high quality to getting quiet apart from the motion of the breath, not in contrast to the frozen reptiles you see in glass cages on the zoo, with solely their bellies increasing out and in.

Hip flexor lengthening and nervous system de-stressing

Hip flexors are the muscular tissues that pull our thigh to our chest or our pelvis all the way down to our thigh. Continual stress can result in a tightening of this muscle group.

“The world has been a bit chaotic not too long ago, and many people are experiencing continual hip flexor stress. Lizard pose permits us the chance to launch muscular stress within the hip flexors, and we are able to marry that feeling with releasing emotional stress as nicely,” says Bartlett.

“Lizard pose permits us to launch muscular stress within the hip flexors, and we are able to marry that with releasing emotional stress as nicely.”—Desi Bartlett, E-RYT

Grounding

On this pose, the physique and the thoughts each profit from getting low and being supported, says Bartlett: “Staying near the earth can add to the sensation of help within the means of letting go.”

“You’ll be able to make the most of gravity to your benefit in lizard,” says Andrew Pyo, E-RYT 500, of Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor, New York, which means the burden of the pelvis may also help lengthen your again hip flexor. “This pose can be an amazing warmup for arm balancing poses, which require hip opening and mobility.” Arm balances are additionally classically decrease to the ground, so getting used to that perspective could be a bonus.

Kinesthetic consciousness

The anatomical complexity of this posture asks practitioners to concentrate to a number of issues directly. This degree of presence strengthens our mind-body connection. It’s not nearly getting in as deep as doable, but in addition remaining conscious of what’s occurring internally.

Bartlett agrees: “This pose requires an incredible quantity of kinesthetic consciousness. Understanding the place our physique is in house and what we’re feeling inside can profit us in every thing that we do in our each day lives. This helps each motion that we make.”

The way to do lizard pose in yoga

That is essentially the most fundamental yoga pose model of lizard and among the best choices for newbies.

1. Begin in a table-top place in your fingers and your knees.
2. Step your proper foot to the surface of your proper hand. If wanted, use your hand to deliver it there.
3. Decrease your elbows all the way down to the mat or to a block.
4. Attain your chest towards your chin and maintain your gaze barely forward of your mat.
5. Squeeze your proper inside knee towards your shoulder.
6. Stay for 8 breaths.
7. To return out, press as much as straight arms.
8. Return to table-top earlier than doing all your second facet.

Ideas for locating the pose

There are few frequent errors practitioners make when doing lizard that may price them their breath—and probably put their backbone and hips in danger. Prioritizing house and size could be important to doing the pose comfortably and safely.

Prioritize your backbone

Usually what makes this pose troublesome has extra to do with our pure born proportions and fewer to do with our skills. For instance, if in case you have longer legs and shorter arms, props might be required to return to your elbows whereas nonetheless with the ability to lengthen your backbone. All the time select your backbone over any superior variation.

“You may as well put a bolster beneath the complete again shin whereas holding the again foot tucked on the bottom, which may create more room in your hips and backbone,” suggests Pyo.

Make house at your hip joints

“Even somebody who has a background in martial arts, dance, or gymnastics and is sort of versatile might want to apply this form mindfully in order to not over-stress the physique,” warns Caston-Miller, whose relationship with the pose modified drastically after a hip alternative in 2016. She continues to apply the pose and train it together with different yoga asanas her Yin lessons, however she may be very cautious to method it with a way of curiosity and use props to keep away from any impingement.

Defend your neck

Our our bodies have a tendency to maneuver the place they’re most cellular; in lizard pose, this may typically embrace our neck. We crane our necks to attempt to get our shoulders down additional, however whereas it could really feel like we’ve gotten deeper, we’ve solely cranked our neck. Equally with twisting variations, we have a tendency to show our head earlier than our trunk. Attempt to maintain the again of your neck lengthy by wanting straight forward and even down towards your cheeks.

Lizard yoga pose variations

Some lizard pose modifications are designed to make the pose friendlier and extra accessible, like a bit gecko in your backyard. However some variations add an depth and fierceness that’s Komodo dragon–worthy.

Arms straight

“I discover that the gap between the ground and the arms is essentially the most difficult,” shares Caston-Miller. “I often apply with prolonged arms slightly than on my forearms to cut back the quantity of break up within the hips and legs. You may as well place blocks beneath your fingers to deliver the ground up.”

1. Begin in a table-top place in your fingers and your knees.
2. Step your proper foot to the surface of your proper hand. If wanted, use your hand to deliver it there.
3. Press your palms into the bottom, holding your arms energetic and straight. You could put a block beneath them for extra top.
4. Maintain for five to 7 breaths.
5. Return by way of table-top and arrange in your left facet.

Externally rotated entrance leg

Hugging your entrance inside groin towards your shoulder requires vital hip flexibility. Permitting your entrance foot and leg to show open barely (exterior rotation of hip) and even letting it fall away out of your torso (abduction) is a straightforward, efficient approach to make lizard pose extra accessible. That is additionally an amazing model of lizard pose for newbies.

1. From table-top, step your proper foot round your proper hand.
2. Flip your proper leg out, so your proper toes are dealing with 2 on a clock face.
3. Let your entrance leg fall open.
4. You’ll be able to maintain your arms straight or come all the way down to your elbows right here.
5. Stay for five breaths.
6. Push your arms to straight and cross again by way of table-top.
7. Arrange in your second facet.

Again leg lifted

Although Bartlett opts for the knee-down model in her private apply, she nonetheless respects the variation the place the again leg is straight: “Knee up feels extra like a flying or elevated lizard that requires conscious engagement of the pelvic flooring.”

Pyo agrees, however heads-up that there could also be an influence of the again hip joint. “Again knee up may impinge the femoral head within the hip socket of the entrance leg, since you are inclined to grind the cartilage like a mortar and pestle,” says Pyo.

In case you’re in a position to maintain your backbone lengthy and keep house in your entrance hip joint, this intense variation could be quite a lot of enjoyable—and a tremendous stretch and strength-building yoga pose.

1. Beginning in downward dealing with canine, elevate your proper leg up and step it round your proper hand.
2. Bend your entrance knee to 80 levels and maintain your again leg energetic.
3. Squeeze your proper inside thigh towards proper shoulder.
4. You’ll be able to maintain your arms straight or decrease to your elbows.
5. Concentrate on lengthening your backbone.
6. Breathe and maintain for five.
7. Cross again by way of downward canine and do your left leg.

Entrance foot on chair (or block)

A easy approach to intensify the pose (and reeealllly really feel that lower-body stretch) is to raise your entrance foot on a block or perhaps a chair.

1. Place a chair on the finish of your mat with the seat directed towards your physique.
2. Come to kneeling in your shins.
3. Place your proper foot onto the chair.
4. Place your elbows on the chair inside your foot.
5. Lean your pelvis ahead whereas lifting your chest.
6. Stay for five breaths.
7. Push your arms to straight and are available again to knees slowly. Arrange in your second facet.

Twisting lizard pose

Whereas including a twist could really feel extra snakelike than lizard-ish, it is a yummy add-on to discover.

1. Begin within the lizard pose variation along with your entrance leg externally rotated.
2. Maintain your left palm flat on the ground or block and inhale as you elevate your proper arm towards the sky.
3. You could decrease to your left shoulder if it feels spacious.
4. Lean again to open your chest extra.
5. Maintain for five breaths.
6. Unwind and produce each fingers down.
7. Cross by way of table-top or downward dealing with canine earlier than repeating in your second facet.

Flying lizard pose

To name this variation “superior” is perhaps promoting it quick: Flying lizard is troublesome for even essentially the most adept practitioners, so do not feel discouraged if it is out of attain.

1. From downward dealing with canine, step your proper foot round your proper hand.
2. Decrease your left knee to the ground.
3. Wrap your proper thigh and shin round your proper higher arm and squeeze tightly.
4. Curl your again toes and elevate your knee.
5. Look ahead and begin to shift your weight towards your finger suggestions, floating your left leg off the bottom.
6. Press into your knuckles and squeeze your elbows into your facet physique.
7. Maintain for 3 to five breaths.
8. Decrease your lifted leg after which untangle your proper leg, coming again by way of the lunge.
9. Step again to downward dealing with canine and repeat in your left.

When to skip lizard pose in yoga

Lizard pose isn’t accessible for everybody. A few of us might have to find an entire new animal of hip openers altogether.

Hamstring accidents

“Lizard pose will not be acceptable for people with a strained groin or hamstring tear,” says Caston-Miller, who nonetheless approaches the pose with additional care even after virtually a decade since her hip surgical procedure. “I simply make certain to apply with deep consciousness and have tailored it to the place I’m now.”

Sacroiliac Dysfunction or decrease again accidents

Unilateral actions and shapes (which means that the legs are usually not creating the identical form and have two very completely different actions), like lunges, name for “extra stability within the muscular tissues that help the S.I. [sacroiliac] joints,” warns Bartlett, who suffered an S.I. damage after a defective adjustment in a lizard 16 years in the past.

Groin pull

Whether or not you let your entrance leg fall open (as within the externally rotated entrance leg variation above) otherwise you work to maintain your entrance thigh hugging in towards your torso, lizard requires flexibility and energy from the adductor muscular tissues, that are your groins. Subsequently, if you’re coping with a groin damage, it is perhaps wiser to keep away from the posture altogether.