7 day program

7 Day Hip Opening Yoga for Hips That Have Been Sitting All Week

In seven days you go from a fifteen minute floor practice to a full session that ends in Pigeon Pose, and you will know which part of your hip is actually tight.

Most hip programs fail in the same way. They ask for an hour on day one, the hips are cold, the poses feel like nothing is happening, and by day three the mat is back under the sofa.

This week is built the other way round. It starts short, it repeats the same shapes often enough for the body to recognise them, and the longest practice waits until the end, once the joint has done the movement a dozen times already.

Five practices across seven days. Two rest days, on purpose, and not at the weekend.

Length

7 days

Practices

5 sessions

Level

Beginner

Rhythm

5 of 7 days

Who this is for

·You sit for most of the day and feel it in the hips, the lower back, or both.
·You have practised yoga before, even if it was a while ago, and you can get down to the floor and back up.
·You can find fifteen minutes on a normal weekday and forty-five once at the end of the week.
·You want to know why a pose is there, not just be told to hold it.

This is not a rehabilitation plan. If you have a diagnosed hip problem, a labral tear, a replacement, or pain that is sharp rather than tight, work with someone who can see you move before you follow anything written for a general reader.

How it works

Every practice day has one sequence, and each sequence has its own page with cues, timings and the reason behind the order. Open the day below to see the poses without leaving this page, or go to the full sequence when you are on the mat. Nothing here needs props, though a folded blanket under the seat and one under the front hip in Pigeon make two of the poses considerably kinder.

The plan, day by day

Open a day to see the full practice. The same sequences come back more than once, and that repetition is the point. A hip changes because you asked it often, not because you asked it once for an hour.

Fifteen minutes on the floor, no standing. The point of day one is information, not effort. Notice which side is stiffer in Half Splits and whether the front knee in Lizard wants to fall inward. That is your week in one practice.

1.Hero Pose90 sec
2.Cat Pose1 min
3.Cow Pose1 min
4.Child's Pose1 min
5.Half Splits2 min
6.Lizard Pose2 min
7.Child's Pose30 sec
8.Butterfly Pose90 sec
9.Revolved Easy Pose90 sec
10.Reclining Pigeon Pose2 min
11.Happy Baby Pose1 min
12.Corpse Pose90 sec

Open the full sequence →

The 26 poses in this program

Every pose has its own page with alignment, common mistakes and the energetic effect. Look one up when a shape does not make sense in your body.

Go to the Asana Lab →

The guide behind this program

Why these poses and not others

The Hip Opening practice guide explains what each of the 34 poses does and why it belongs to this goal. Read it if you want the reasoning rather than the plan.

Read the Hip Opening guide →

Accessible Yoga Mobility: Chair Yoga and Inclusive Asanas for All Bodies Comprehensive Guide to Yoga Postures: The Asana Encyclopedia for Beginners and Advanced Practitioners

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I miss a day?

Carry on where you left off rather than doubling up. The order matters more than the calendar, and two practices in one day gives the hips no time to adapt, which is where the change actually happens.

Can I do this as a complete beginner?

Yes, with one adjustment. On day seven, stop after Fire Log Pose and finish with the reclining poses instead of Pigeon. Come back to the full version after a second week.

Will my hips stay open after seven days?

Not on their own. Seven days is long enough to feel a clear change and to learn which part of your hip is tight. Keeping it takes two or three practices a week, which is why the fifteen minute sequence exists.

Do I need any props?

No, but a folded blanket helps in two places. Under the seat in the kneeling and cross legged poses, and under the front hip in Pigeon so the pelvis does not tip. A block is useful in Half Moon on day seven.

Why are the rest days in the middle of the week?

Because day four sits between two thirty minute practices and day six comes before the longest one. Rest placed where the body needs it does more than rest placed where the calendar suggests it.

Author of this post

Founder & Author

Manish Rana

Founder of Asanaverse.de. Manish writes about yoga, Ayurveda and meditation, and owes his deep connection to yoga to his Indian roots. With over 1,000 hours of Yoga Alliance Teacher Training, he shares his knowledge with the community.

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