Rocking the Cradle Yoga Exercises

If you are feeling a little tight in your hips, there are a number of different yoga exercises that you can safely do to open up and stretch them. Rocking the Cradle is a yoga exercise that stretches your hip flexors, inside thighs, hamstrings, glutes and shoulders. With continued practice, Rocking the Cradle and other yoga exercises help you increase your flexibility and range of motion.

  1. Seated

    • Rocking the Cradle is a seated exercise that first starts with Cradle the Baby pose. While seated on the ground, keep your left leg straight and lift your right leg while bending your knee. Gently hold your right foot with your left hand and use your right arm to cradle your knee and lower leg just as you would cradle a baby. Once you’re in Cradle the Baby, focus on your breathing for three to five deep breaths. From there you can gently rock side to side. Repeat the cradling exercise with your left leg.

    Reclining

    • A reclining or supine Cradle the Baby allows your abdominal and back muscles to relax. Lie on your back and pick one foot up off the ground; bend at the knee and cradle the leg close to your upper body. The leg that isn’t being cradled can be either straight or bent. A variation of this reclining pose that also opens your hips is Thread the Needle -- sometimes referred to as Eye of the Needle. Both of your legs are off the floor as you lie on your back in Thread the Needle, and one leg is supporting or cradling the other leg. In reclining Cradle the Baby and Thread the Needle, you can gently rock back and forth as you would in the seated Rocking the Cradle exercise to release tension in your hips and low back.

    Sequence Pose

    • Cradle the Baby and Rocking the Baby can also be used in a sequence of poses that lead up to more a challenging pose, such as Compass. Compass requires a high degree of flexibility. Cradle the Baby followed by Rocking the Baby will warm your body up and will help you achieve more flexibility in your hips so that you can eventually try Compass. Working your way into more challenging poses is a journey; enjoy the time it takes to get there and it will come with time.

    Considerations

    • If you’ve never done a Rocking the Cradle exercise before, consider taking a yoga session with an instructor who can guide you through the proper warm-up sequence needed to try it safely. Regardless of whether you are doing this pose seated or on your back, ease into the pose carefully – don't force it. If you have knee pain or discomfort at any time, that’s a sign to come out of the pose. If you have a history of hip or knee problems, check with your doctor or health-care provider to make sure yoga exercises are appropriate for you.