Lower back, hips and knees

Reclined Figure-4: Seated Chair

The most accessible deep hip opener: simply crossing your ankle over your knee while seated requires no floor work and is gentle enough for almost everyone.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit tall on a chair with both feet flat

   Sit bones evenly weighted, feet under your knees, no floor work and no balance required.

2. 2

   Cross one ankle over the opposite knee

   The ankle should sit just past the far side of your thigh rather than resting on the kneecap. Keep that foot flexed.

3. 3

   Let the top knee fall only as far as comfortable

   If it stays high, rest your hand or a cushion underneath it so the leg is supported instead of hanging.

4. 4

   Sit up out of any slump to find the sensation

   Lengthening upwards through your spine is enough to bring the opening into the seat of that hip. There is no need to fold forward.

5. 5

   Stay one to three minutes, then swap legs

   Lift the leg off with your hands rather than dropping it down.

What to watch for

If your foot is resting on the kneecap rather than past the thigh, the pressure lands on the knee joint instead of the hip. Slide the ankle further across and keep the foot flexed.

Ways to adjust it

• Support under knee
• Foot flexed

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Pigeon Pose versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Reclined Figure-4: Classic
• Reclined Figure-4: Foot on Wall

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.