How to SPLITS!

And an awesome hamstring and hip flexor opening sequence

I was a dancer and a cheerleader growing up, and yet I couldn’t do the splits. I was quite frustrated and would try and force myself to go deeper into a pose I wasn’t prepared for. The thing about splits is it’s more about letting go than it is pushing harder. The more you try and muscle your way into the pose, the less likely you are to achieve it. When I finally got into splits after years of practicing yoga, it was because I learned to relax as I tapped into my strength. I sank into my breath and stopped judging myself. I took a giant leap of faith and accessed my inner power. I allowed myself to keep opening up slowly and I found the right alignment to make the pose possible.

I always thought I had to open up my hamstrings to get into the splits. It is true, that you need hamstring flexibility, but you also need to open up the hip flexors and front of thighs in order to drop the pelvis evenly to the mat. The more you can open up the front and the back of the thighs, the easier it gets. Crescent lunges, low lunges, pyramid pose, and kneeling hamstring stretches are all great to practice regularly. You also want to stay connected to your core to help you stay lifted out of your lower back as your legs descend to the floor.

The Sanskrit name for splits is Hanumanasana, and it’s named after Hanuman the great monkey god who is known for his wisdom, strength, courage, devotion, and self-discipline. The full front split position of Hanumanasana represents the extreme stretch and power needed to go beyond your limitations and access your inner strength. In the Ramayana, Hanuman took a giant leap from India to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita from a demon king named Ravana. Splits pose represents that leap with one foot forward and one backward spanning across the ocean.

What obstacles are you facing right now? How can you make a leap that requires you to stay true to yourself while going after the things that you love? It’s truly powerful to find your center when you have one leg reaching forward toward your goals while the other leg reminds you of where you’ve come from. Stay persistent with each asana so you can build a foundation that enables you to stretch beyond your limits without force, struggle or pain. You may feel some discomfort because the unknown is scary, but this is where your breath comes into play. If you can still breathe deeply as you lower down, you are ok. Once you feel your breath tense up, back off and give yourself grace. Know that each day is a practice and going into these advanced postures takes time and consistency.

I think it took me a full year to get into the splits on my right side. Eventually, I got it on my left side as well. Now after practicing for over 30 years, I find I can still go into splits on both sides. I love the feeling of accessing flexibility I never knew I had. I honor my body every time I take this pose and I’m in awe of what I can achieve. To take that giant leap of faith, you have to bet on yourself. You have to remind yourself that you are worth it. Incorporate these poses regularly and see what you are capable of.

Start your warm-up with cat/cow and one leg table top and bird dog on each side.

Hold downward dog for 5-8 breaths. Take dog split, crescent lunge, and high lunge on each side. Incorporate a vinyasa (plank, chaturanga, upward dog, downward dog) in between to build some heat.

Practice lizard and low lunge twist with a quad stretch. Hold each for at least 5-8 breaths on each side. Then come to the front of the mat and step back into pyramid pose on each side. Next, try standing hand to big toe pose. You can use a strap to hold on the foot if need be as well.

Step open to the side and take a standing straddle forward fold. Come to a downward dog, and from there, do a pigeon on each side. Step or hop through to sit and hold a seated forward fold. You can also lie on your back and try half or full wheel with a leg extended.

Finally, come up to all fours or downward dog and step a foot through to practice splits on each side. Special bonus for PAID subscribers below!