Hip Exercises to Help With Zen Meditation

An essential practice of Zen meditation is zazen: sitting in sessions that can last for hours at a time. This can be uncomfortable -- or even impossible for some people who don't have stretched and strengthened hip muscles. A relaxed, secure meditation seat requires initial effort and ongoing attention. Forcing a full Lotus pose, or even Half-Lotus or simple cross-legged pose, can lead to aching knees and back due to poor posture, inflexible hamstrings and tight hip flexors. Hip-opening exercises can improve your zazen experience.

  1. Opening Heat

    • Before practicing stretches to open hips for safer, more comfortable zazen sessions, spend a few minutes warming up. Start on hands and knees in tabletop position with Cat/Cow poses, the arching and scooping of the spine that loosens the back and pelvis. Add Sun Salutations, focusing on the sensations of hip stretches in Backbend, Standing Forward Bend, Lunge and Cobra. Hip ligaments are very strong, and a typical sedentary lifestyle, spent sitting in front of a computer screen at an office or in a classroom, causes hip flexor muscles to shorten and tighten. The combined stiffness increases the risks of a sprain or a strain. Gently warming up the hip muscles allows you to increase your range of motion and go deeper into poses or exercises that counter all that sitting and create greater hip flexibility.

    Take a Stand

    • Balance and body-weight exercises help to strengthen hips. Standing yoga poses remind you to keep your pelvis aligned properly to feel the hip stretch. Step into a low Lunge with back leg extended, toes pointed and knee on the floor. Raise your arms overhead as you stretch the front of your torso and breathe in the pose. Hold for five breaths and switch sides. Next tackle a high Lunge with back leg extended off the floor and toes curled under, reaching from squared hips through upraised arms to feel the stretch. After a high Lunge on both sides, perform Warrior II, with feet apart -- one to the front and one to the back of the mat. Bend the front knee 90 degrees, foot facing forward, and extend the back leg, foot turned out. Extend your arms, one forward, one back, horizontal to the floor. Engage your core while tucking your tailbone under to position hips correctly. Practice Warrior II on both sides. Engage your core and tuck tailbone under to position hips correctly. Practice Warrior II on both sides.

    Twist Your Hips

    • Said Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism: "Walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen.” So add a twist -- or a couple -- to your Zen practice to achieve greater stillness when you are sitting zazen. Yoga twists such as Staff pose, Bharadvaja's Twist, Half-Lord of the Fishes pose and Cow Face pose help you to soften and release tight hips even as you stretch and energize your spine. As spine and hip flexibility increases, you can deepen seated twists and build a strong base for Zen sitting that takes the strain off your knees and ankles. Bound Angle pose, Frog pose and One-Legged Pigeon pose focus on releasing and opening groin and hip muscles. Yoga beginners should consult a certified instructor before adding more advanced twists and stretches to a daily routine. Remember to breathe evenly throughout the poses to increase range of motion and avoid injury.

    Makko Ho Stretching

    • In Eastern medicine, working with the body's energy meridians releases emotional and physical blockages where stress accumulates, causing tightness. A number of stretches in a system called Makko Ho target the hips to open them for a stronger meditation seat. Each exercise is a static stretch that should be held for three or four breaths. It takes time and practice to develop the flexibility to perform each stretch fully. Sit with heels touching, as close to the torso as possible, knees on the floor. Lengthen the spine and hinge forward from the hips, bringing your face to the floor with palms on the floor above the head. Sit tall with legs extended, bend from the hips and reach the hands to the floor near your feet, face to knees. Do the same stretch forward with legs opened wide to the sides, a Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend in yoga.