About This Final Flow
This is the routine you’ve been building toward. Nine exercises that represent the full spectrum of hip opening: rotation, adduction, flexion, extension, and everything between. If you’ve been following the hip opening progression, every position here should feel familiar — but strung together into a single flow, they create something greater than the sum of their parts.
Hip circles warm the joint. Butterfly eases into the adductors. Then the intensity builds: frog pose, pigeon, double pigeon, 90-90, cow face, straddle. Each position earned its place by targeting something no other exercise in the sequence covers. Reclined butterfly closes the session with a passive release that lets your body absorb the work.
What This Routine Targets
- Full adductor range through butterfly, frog, straddle, and reclined butterfly
- Deep external rotation via pigeon, double pigeon, and 90-90
- Internal rotation with cow face and 90-90
- Hip capsule mobility from every major angle
- Cumulative hip opening that builds on weeks of progressive work
What’s Included
Hip Circles
Duration: 0:30
Draw smooth circles with your hips to mobilize the pelvis and lower back before deeper work.
Difficulty: Beginner
Instructions
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and hands resting on your hips.
- Slowly rotate your hips in a circular motion, tracing a wide circle in one direction.
- After several reps, switch directions to balance the movement.
Tips
- Keep your core engaged to support the lower back.
- Maintain soft knees rather than locking them out.
Adjustments
- Shrink the circle if your range of motion feels limited today.
Butterfly
Duration: 0:45
Drop into butterfly pose to open the hips and groin while you breathe space into tight muscles.
Difficulty: Beginner
Instructions
- Sit tall with legs extended, then bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
- Hold your feet or ankles and let your knees fall out to the sides.
- Press the knees gently toward the floor while keeping the spine long.
Tips
- Use your elbows to nudge the thighs downward only if it feels comfortable.
- Lift through the chest and avoid rounding your back.
Adjustments
- Place cushions under your thighs when the hips need extra support.
- Sit on a folded blanket to elevate your seat and create more ease.
Frog Pose
Duration: 1:30
Ease into frog pose to open your inner thighs and give your hips a deep, satisfying stretch.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions
- Start on hands and knees, then lower to your forearms.
- Slide your knees out to the sides with hips in line with knees and toes turned outward.
- Press your hips back toward your heels to deepen the stretch while breathing steadily.
Tips
- Keep your chest lifted slightly so your spine stays long.
Adjustments
- Bring knees closer together or place blankets under them for less intensity.
Pigeon
Duration: 1:30
Settle into pigeon pose to melt tension in your hips, glutes, and lower back.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions
- From tabletop, bring one knee forward behind the same-side wrist and angle the shin toward the opposite hip.
- Slide the back leg straight behind you as you square your hips toward the floor.
- Lower your torso over the front leg and rest on your forearms or hands while breathing deeply.
Tips
- Keep hips level rather than collapsing to one side.
Adjustments
- Place a folded blanket or block under the bent-leg hip for support.
- Stay upright with hands on the floor if folding forward feels too intense.
Double Pigeon
Duration: 1:00
Stack your shins in double pigeon to dive deep into the outer hips and glutes.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions
- Sit tall with legs extended, then bend one knee and bring the shin parallel to your torso.
- Bend the other knee and stack that shin on top so the ankle rests over the bottom knee and the feet flex.
- Lengthen through your spine and let your hands rest beside your hips or on the top shin.
- Stay upright or hinge forward slightly if you want more sensation.
Tips
- Keep both feet flexed to protect the knees.
- Sit tall and reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling to avoid collapsing.
Adjustments
- Extend the bottom leg forward if stacking both shins feels like too much today.
90/90
Duration: 1:00
Settle into the classic 90/90 and breathe your way toward deeper hip rotation without forcing the stretch.
Difficulty: Beginner
Instructions
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet planted, then let both legs fall to one side.
- Line up the front shin in front of your torso and allow the back leg to open behind you so each knee makes a right angle.
- Rotate your chest toward the front thigh, plant your fingertips on the ground, and lengthen through the spine.
- Hinge forward from the hips, easing into the stretch while keeping your breath calm and steady.
Tips
- Think of your spine reaching long rather than diving your head toward the floor.
Adjustments
- Sit on a cushion, yoga block, or folded blanket if your hips need a little elevation to relax into the setup.
Cow Face
Duration: 1:00
Thread your arms into cow face to stretch shoulders and triceps while opening your chest.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions
- Sit or stand tall and raise one arm overhead.
- Bend the lifted elbow so your hand reaches down between your shoulder blades.
- Extend the other arm out, bend the elbow, and slide the hand up your back to meet the top hand.
- Clasp hands if they connect, or simply reach toward each other while keeping your chest lifted.
Tips
- Keep your torso upright instead of leaning forward.
- Draw the bottom shoulder back so the chest stays open.
Adjustments
- Hold a strap or towel between your hands if they do not meet.
- Place one hand on the upper back and the other on the lower back for a gentler version.
Seated Straddle
Duration: 1:00
Slide into a wide-legged seat and fold forward to stretch your inner thighs and hamstrings with intention.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Instructions
- Sit with legs extended, then open them wide into a straddle.
- Place your hands on the floor in front of you and lengthen your spine.
- Hinge at the hips to reach forward, lowering your torso toward the floor while breathing steadily.
Tips
- Keep your back long and avoid rounding as you fold.
- Flex your feet and point toes upward to keep legs active.
Adjustments
- Rest hands on blocks or a chair if reaching forward feels challenging.
- Sit on a folded blanket to elevate your hips and create more comfort.
Reclined Butterfly
Duration: 1:00
Lie back and let your knees fall wide to gently open your hips and ease your spine.
Difficulty: Beginner
Instructions
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
- Bring the soles of your feet together and allow knees to fall out to the sides.
- Rest your arms by your sides with palms facing up and breathe into the stretch.
Tips
- Let gravity open your hips without forcing them.
Adjustments
- Place cushions or blocks under your thighs for support if needed.
Who Should Try This
This routine is designed for people who have worked through the earlier hip opening sessions and built the flexibility to hold advanced positions. If frog, pigeon, and 90-90 are part of your regular practice, you’re ready. If those positions are still uncomfortable at basic depth, spend more time with the foundation and intermediate routines first.
Tips for Best Results
- Give yourself a proper warm-up — this session goes deep quickly after the opening minutes
- Don’t rush between positions; take a breath or two during transitions
- Notice how positions that felt impossible weeks ago now feel accessible
- Use this as a benchmark session you return to monthly to track your progress
The Flow Never Ends
Reaching the final routine doesn’t mean you’re done. Hip flexibility is something you maintain through ongoing practice. But if you’ve made it here, you’ve proven that consistency works. Your hips have more range, more control, and more freedom than when you started. Take that forward and keep moving.
