The yoga world seems to be obsessed with hip “opening,” but why? What’s the point?

If you’re not an avid yoga practitioner, you might be wondering what hip “opening” means.

It’s typically used synonymously with mobility and flexibility, often in relation to positions of external rotation (think sitting criss-cross applesauce). There are some more advanced postures that require more “opening” and hip openers are also associated with allowing for an emotional release. For people with naturally “open” hips, these more advanced postures look effortless, but why are they so challenging for others?

The answer is that the hip joint has the most natural variability in joint structure between sides and amongst individuals than any of the other joint system. The way the femur (top of your hip bone) sits in the socket, the size of your femoral head in relation to the size of the socket, and the orientation of the socket- how much does it angle forward, to the side, or slightly back, all play a part in how stable or mobile our hips are perceived.

I always ask people WHY they want open hips.

If it’s just because it looks cool, and your hip isn’t oriented in a way that it could be safely possible, it’s not worth it to try. Ultimately, achievement of that goal might mean that you created tissue damage that you’ll have to pay for later in life. However, I will try to help you get as close as safely possible.

If the answer is that it has a functional bearing on life now and the future, heck yea, let’s improve it!

Get this, sometimes the reason their hips haven’t opened more with continuous flexibility and mobility training is, actually, a lack of strength and stability!

When our joints are naturally more lax, the muscles in the region will become tighter to improve the stability and keep us safe. Also, you can have good muscle flexibility and joint mobility, but without the strength to MOVE through that range, you will FEEL stuck or limited.

We need both mobility AND stability to get in and out of chairs, on and off the floor, to walk or run, to do a king pigeon pose, and to perform a solid arabesque (for the dancers out there) .