Stretch your hips and thighs and release tension and stress with this restorative yoga pose – Reclined Bound Angle Pose…

Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) – also known as Reclined Butterfly Pose – is a restorative yoga pose which not only stretches the hips and groin, but may also help to relieve stress, insomnia, and symptoms of menopause or PMS. It’s good for those who spend a lot of time sitting at a desk which may lead to tightness in the hips, and it is also a great pose for pregnant women, as it helps to open and energize the pelvic region.

This is one of my favorite stretches, and I do it in bed a lot – usually with pillows under my knees. It is so relaxing and sometimes helps me fall asleep – plus it gives my hips a great stretch!

You can rest your hands wherever you want – either on the floor at your sides, stretched out to the side, or even on your chest or belly – do what feels most comfortable for you in the moment.

Feel free to use whatever props you need to make the pose feel good. You may want to support your knees or thighs with blocks, bolsters, or folded or rolled blankets (I usually use pillows when doing this pose in bed).

Here’s how to do Reclined Bound Angle Pose, step-by-step:

1. Lie down comfortably on your back, with your legs extended and your arms at your sides, palms face up toward the ceiling.
2. Bend your knees to bring the soles (bottoms) of your feet together to touch. The outer (pinky toe) edges of your feet should be resting on the mat. Let the legs fall open and allow gravity to support the weight of the legs.
3. Check in with your body. If your hips and groin are feeling tight, you can take your feet further away from your body; alternately, if you’re feeling more open, you can bring your feet closer toward your body to deepen the stretch.
4. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and allow your back body to sink more deeply into the mat. Stay in the pose anywhere from one to five minutes, depending on your level of comfort.
5. To come out of the pose, take the palms of the hands on the outer thighs to gently fold the legs together, and bring the soles of the feet flat down on the mat. Then, hug your knees into your chest and gently rock from side to side to release the low back.

Read more at DoYouYoga.com…