It’s the 29th of February leap day in a leap year! I tried to think what pose in yoga is most like leaping through the air – and thought of crescent lunge! Particularly if you focus on your back leg.
Often in this pose we worry about our balance, the front knee being in the correct place or what’s happening with your arms and forget all about the back leg. But paying attention to the back leg will help you find a better stretch and protect your hips.
- Start from a squat or forward fold and step your left foot back into a lunge.
- Make sure your right knee is over the top or behind your right ankle. Keep your right toes and knee tracking straight ahead.
- Then lift your hands up to your hips, as you lift your chest.
- Keep your back heel right over the top of your toes.
- Now that you’re in the lunge and found your balance, pay attention to your feet and legs.
- Push down through your front right foot as if you’re stomping into the ground.
- Then push the top of your back left thigh up. As you do this, you will start to feel your back leg move towards straight, and push through your back heel to the wall behind you.
- Then gently experiment with tipping your pelvis up and down to feel the difference in the stretch in your back thigh, and lengthening your lower back. Just imagine tipping your tail bone up and down – aim to stop in a neutral or slightly downward angle.
- And notice in the photo that I’m not very deep in the lunge. There’s no need to go deep, if you’re back leg is active, to find the stretch. And it’s safer for your hips.
- Don’t forget to try the other side, resting in a gentle forward fold in between.
Crescent lunge for leap day (stretch thighs)
