Treat your side body and hips with this yin sequence

For me, there's nothing quite like lingering in a juicy side stretch to be able to feel more expansive and breathe a little more easily. Here’s a short sequence to give your side body a treat, with the added bonus of targeting your outer hips as well. Enjoy!

Cross legged - you might like to start your practice with a short seated meditation or breathing practice, followed by a gentle twist to each side

Shoelace pose - once you've positioned your legs (you can stay cross legged if you prefer) reach over to one side for a couple of minutes, then repeat on the other side, before pausing in the centre

Supine figure 4 pose to figure 4 twist - lie on your back and place your outer ankle or foot on the opposite thigh. You can position your hands wherever's comfortable. After a few minutes, keep your legs in the same shape and tip them both over to the side so that the sole of the foot that was crossed over lands on the floor next to you (or onto a block). You can stay in that shape or slide your upper body to the side to take a gentle hold of your ankle and drape your other arm over your head. Stay for a few minutes, then repeat both poses on the opposite side.

To end your practice, spend a few minutes in your favourite relaxation pose.

Please note:

There are numerous options for each pose and there’s not space to list them all here. If you like a particular version of a pose that I haven’t included above, please feel free to go with that. The amount of time in each posture is entirely personal, but one suggestion is to set a timer for 3 minutes and if you find you want to stay for longer once your timer goes off, you have that option. Give yourself plenty of time between poses/sides to fully feel into the effects. If you stay in each pose for around 3 minutes and pause between poses/sides this sequence will take around 35 minutes. This practice isn’t recommended it you’re pregnant and new to yin yoga. If you have any concerns, please consult with a medical professional prior to practising.