Bound Angle Pose, also known as Butterfly Stretch, is a common pose used in yoga to stretch the hips and inner thighs. It provides an external rotation of the legs, which lengthens all the muscles on the inside of the femurs (thigh bones). However, it can be difficult to keep proper alignment if the hips, glutes, or lower back muscles are very tight.
Bound Angle Pose is done by sitting up tall with the bottom of the feet together, the knees relaxed out to the sides, and the feet drawn in close to the body. If when in this position the knees are higher than the waist, a modification is needed. To modify Bound Angle pose you can simply sit on a yoga block, firm pillow, bolster, book, or any other prop you have available. This allows the spine to remain long, the hips to release, and the legs to relax toward the floor.
As the inner thighs and hip muscles begin to stretch out, you can gradually lower the height of your prop, and eventually sit directly on your yoga mat. To get a deeper stretch after this, you can keep the spine long and press the heart forward to feel a more intense hip and thigh stretch.
We at RADECTHealth believe yoga and fitness should be accessible to everyone so we always offer our clients modifications, as well as advancements for any poses or exercises they might be trying out. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to one of our qualified professionals!