How To Do Split Yoga Pose

Slots In Wall Bracket

Loan : B.J. Gaddour.

Using the wall as a support in this installation is incredibly beneficial. Sit down and look at the wall. Spread your legs. Lift the seat and slide the bottom toward the wall, bringing the feet closer to the wall.

Let your pelvis move closer and closer to the wall and open your legs wider and wider. Stop when you can no longer keep your upper body upright, when you notice that your back is sagging a little.

Stay there and breathe for 10-15 breaths, then slowly move away from the wall and rest in a lying position for a few breaths.

Getting Ready To Do The Standing Splits

Yoga Poses To Prepare For Straddle Splits

Use the following postures in your yoga asana practice to gently deepen your journey into Upavistha Konasana. Approach all these poses mindfully, moving in and out of them slowly and with the intention to explore the pose rather than getting into any particular ideal shape.

Upavistha Konasana/Straddle Split Seated Wide-legged Forward Fold Pose

The best pose to prepare your body for Seated Straddle Splits, are straddle splits themselves! Start by simply sitting on the floor with your spine straight and elongated towards the sky. Flex your toes backwards towards your face and separate your heels as wide as you comfortably can. Focus on keeping this seated shape comfortably before you even begin adding in the forward fold.

Chakrasana Cat-Cows Pose

Cat-Cow stretches may come as a surprise for those wanting to deepen their straddle splits, however, they are important to keep as part of a well-rounded yoga asana practice. The stretches help you to synchronize your movement with your breath and allows you to gently strengthen and fire up the back, shoulders, and even core, and at the same time keep the belly supple to allow space to eventually fold forward from your hips with your back straight.

Paschimottanasana Seated Forward Fold Pose

Uttanasana Standing Forward Fold Pose

Prasarita Padottanasana Standing Wide-legged Forward Fold Pose

Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana Downward Facing Dog Splits Pose

Supta Padangusthasana Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose

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Side Stretch Lean Back

Come back to the side stretch starting position and lean backwards. Hold for 12 seconds.

Here is another position that is going to vary based on the individuals flexibility level. If you are very flexible you will be able to have your back touch the ground. For those of you starting out in the same position as me youre going to need to place your hands behind you for extra support. Only go as far back as is comfortable for your body.

*After this pose start the flow over again and repeat it one more time on your right side*

Once youre finished with this flow you are going to switch over to your left side. Straighten out your left leg and bend your right leg behind you. Start each flow again and follow the routine for the left side of your body.

Repeat this flow three times

Repeat this flow two times

Reclined Hand To Big Toe Pose

Target Muscles

Hamstrings and calves

Alignment Tips

Lay down on your back and hug one knee into your chest. Reach your fingers for your toe and extend your leg skyward. Flex your toes towards your shin and as you pull your toe closer to your face.

Modifications

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Kapotasana Or Pigeon Pose

Kapotasana or Pigeon Pose is our final step before we make the giant leap into full splits! Pigeon Pose opens the hips and provides a deep stretch into the buttocks and piriformis muscle. It can be helpful for sciatica and massages the digestive organs aiding in elimination.

Heres How to Practice:

• Start in tabletop position and bring left knee towards the left wrist and the left heel towards the right wrist working the shin towards parallel to the front of the mat
• Slide the right foot back and release the foot to the ground toenail side down
• Slowly lower the chest to the ground coming down to forearms, a block, or maybe all the way to your mat
• Square the hips by gently bringing the right hip forward and sending the left hip back
• Stay for at least 10 deep breaths and then repeat on the other side

Practicing An Advanced Posture

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Anjaneyasana Or Low Lunge

This posture is a great place to start preparing for the splits. Low Lunge is a hip opener, leg strengthener, helpful for sciatica, and a massage for the digestive and reproductive organs. The pose can aid in elimination, so literally helping us to eliminate what no longer serves us.

Heres How to Practice:

• Plant the foot directly in front of the body and make sure its flexed back towards your face this will help the hips be able to sink down
• The back leg is relaxed and the knee is down, toes are toenail side down
• Hands can rest to the floor, your thigh, or be extended towards the sky
• Tailbone is gently tucking and belly is engaged here think up and in towards the heart
• Roll the shoulders onto the back and keep length in the spine gaze is straight out
• Melt the hip down towards the ground strengthening the front leg and stretching the back hips
• Stay for at least 10 deep breaths and then repeat on the other side

Full Splits Pose With A Yoga Block Assist

If you feel youre almost ready to come into Full Splits Pose, this is an excellent variation to practice! Begin with your yoga block set to the medium height, eventually working your way down to the lower height, then to no block at all.;

;How to Practice Full Splits Pose With a Yoga Block Assist

• Return to your Half Split Pose, and place a block under the glute of your front leg
• Use your hands on either side of your hips to support your body as you lift your back knee off the ground and straighten it as much as you are able
• Gently bring your hips back towards the mat, placing the glute of your front leg on your yoga block
• Hold for 5-7 breaths each side

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Single Leg Standing Forward Fold

Next, bring your right foot closer to your body and straighten out both legs. Fold over your left leg to get a deep hamstring and calf stretch. Hold for 12 seconds.

*After this pose get back into the lunge pose and repeat the flow one more time*

Once you are finished with the single leg standing forward fold, rotate your feet forward and lean forward. For a deeper stretch grab the back of your ankles are pull forward. Hold this pose for 12 seconds.

After the center forward fold rotate your feet to the right and start the single left standing forward fold. This pose will begin the same flow for the right side of your body.

Repeat flow two times.

Benefits Of Standing Split

Standing Split stretches the whole back side of the body, particularly the hamstrings and calves. It strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles, and also stretches the groin muscles. Supporting your body’s weight on one leg, while upside-down, will greatly challenge and improve your balance.

One of the wonderful things about yoga is it is designed to meet you where you are.

Since your heart is above your head in this pose, it is considered a mild inversion . It holds the benefits of other inversions, including relief from headaches, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and mild depression. The increased flow of blood to the brain calms the nervous system. This helps to improve memory and concentration, and relieve stress.

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What Can The Splits Do For You

Once you learn how to safely execute the splits, the benefits are endless. According to Ahmed, the splits can increase hip mobility and flexibility, leading to improved functional mobility.

Anyone from an athlete who wants to improve their performance to an older adult looking to maintain their range of motion can find value in performing these movements, he said.

Ahmed adds that practicing the straddle split can directly correlate to the maximum depth of a front squat, as well as other daily movements, such as getting in and out of a car or squatting down to pick up a child.

The front split can increase strength when executing a lunge, which Ahmed says can help runners elongate their stride length and help dancers improve their overall technique.

Runners Lunge With Quadricep Stretch

Target Muscles

Quadriceps, groin, psoas, and hip flexors

Alignment Tips

From runners lunge, release your back knee to the earth. Then bend your back knee as you shift your hips forward. Ensure your front knee still stacks over your ankle, then turn in the direction of your front foot. Reach your hand for your opposite back foot and hug your heel towards your glute

Modifications

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The Easy Way To Do The Splits

The full split, or hanumanasana, is a hard position to master, and it’s one that doesn’t come easily to a lot of people. It’s named after Hanuman, the Hindu deity who is said to have taken a giant leap all the way from the south of India to the Himalayas to reclaim his love . Follow these simple steps and stretches, and soon you’ll be ready to take the leap too. Have fun!

A word of caution: Your hamstrings are strong, but delicate creatures, and a tear can take more than two years to fully recover. As with all of our yoga pose breakdowns, take this one step and breath at a time. Never attempt a full split without warming your body up first.

Half Pigeon With Quadricep Stretch

Target Muscles

Hips, psoas, hip flexors, and quadriceps

Alignment Tips

Ensure your hips are stable in half pigeon pose, then bend your back leg. Reach your hand back to grasp your corresponding foot . Pull your heel towards your glute until your feel your quadricep stretch.

Modifications

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Full Splits With Blocks

Target Muscles

Hamstrings, quadriceps, groin, hip flexors, hips

Alignment Tips

From standing on your knees, step one foot forward into a Crescent Moon pose. Slowly start to slide your front foot forward. Place a block under your front thigh at a comfortable height when you still feel sturdy. Lengthen your spine, activate your core, and sit up tall.

Over time, as you get more flexible, you can move the block to lower levels – as shown above. Add challenge by reaching your arms over head or folding forward over your front leg.

Modifications

Side Stretch Front Fold

Now go back to the starting position for the side stretch. Look in front of you. Take a deep breath, on the exhale fold over in front of you. Hold for 12 seconds.

The depth in which you are able to bend over is based on your flexibility level. In the image below the person on the left side is clearly more flexible than the person on the right. Realize with enough practice you will be able to stretch as far as the flexible person in the image.

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The Results Of My 30 Day Split Challenge

Just as inflexible people are faced with the stigma that they are not good enough for practicing yoga, those who do yoga are automatically expected to possess a limber and supple body that can easily fold into an origami shape.

And boy do the expectations rise when you mention you’re a yoga teacher.

Ive been doing yoga on and off for more than 5 years. Despite being pretty flexible and teaching yoga, I still cant do the splits.

In my defense, I have never been working towards splits before.

Moreover, there are absolutely no reasons to assume that yoga in some way leads to splits. Flexibility is just among the many science-proven benefits of yoga and a pleasant side effect rather than an ultimate goal.

I came across this 30 days to splits challenge chart below on Instagram and used it for the most days of my journey to splits.

All of the poses are commonly seen in yoga, so it looked like a good idea to incorporate the longer stretches into my yoga routine. The poses also work on a range of areas needed for the splits: hamstrings, hip flexors, inner thighs, lower back, etc.

The general rule of the given challenge was to do five basic stretches on a daily basis while adding one more stretch starting from day 6. So on the first 5 days of the challenge, I would need to do stretches 1-5. On the 6th day, stretches 1-5 and 6. On the 7th day, 1-5 and 7 and so on.

Stretches To Get You Into The Splits In 4 Weeks

Achieving the Full Split Pose can be the ultimate flex . It requires flexibility in your glutes, calves, quads, hamstrings and hips, so it is no easy feat. Being able to do a full split can open up a whole new world of yoga poses, so it is no wonder it is on many of our yogi bucket lists. But dont be disheartened, with the right yoga poses, the Full Splits is achievable.;

So to help you achieve your goal we have outlined 6 popular yoga stretches that will help you on your journey. We recommend practicing these for at least 10 minutes each day. The more you practice, the faster you will achieve your yogi goal. Youve got this!

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Can Everyone Do A Split

Before doing any research on how to train for a split I was curious to know if everyone is even capable of doing a split. To my surprise there is a simple test a person can do if they want to figure out if their hips will allow them to do a split.

Image and information courtesy of flexibility and fitness expert JeromeFitness

If you are not able to do a 90 degree angle this means your hip placement is at a different angle then most people and your body will not allow you to do a split even if you train for years. Failing this test does not mean you should give up on improving your flexibility and mobility.

Isometric Front Split Hold

In the same pose bring your fight foot more forward and your left foot back. Take your time in this pose. Use yoga blocks for assistance if your hands cant touch the ground. Hold this pose for 12 seconds. ;

*Repeat this flow one more time. Then do the same flow on the left side of your body two times*

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How Fast Can I Get Into Splits

Its the question everyone always asks, and the answer is simple: it depends.

This challenge is 30 days, but everyones starting point is different. There are so many factors that impact our natural flexibility: age, gender, joint structure, muscle bulk, and prior injuries all have an effect.

But with consistent stretching and the right mentality, it is possible to master front splits in one month! Others may need 3 to 12 months of consistent stretching to reach the floor, but the ultimate goal should be to increase your overall mobility and to feel better in your body. With time, consistency, and the right mindset, it will come.