Where do I place my hips in Warrior II Pose?

This is a question I'm asked often and something we’ve been in exploring in my classes over the last week.  And like every movement, it really comes from personal exploration.  That said, there are important factors to keep in mind.

First off – the front knee is a priority in the shape.  I want to make sure that the front knee is supported from its foot below and its outer hip.  If my inner thighs are tight, I run the risk of them pulling my knee closer to my pelvis, i.e. pulling the knee in toward the big toe side of the foot, which could possibly put some strain on my knee joint. 

If I allow my back-leg hip to turn a little forward I can eliminate some of that pull and give myself some room to steer my front knee forward - think more toward the pinky side of the foot rather than the big toe side. 

The other thought is the shape of our hip joints. Now, we can’t see them through our clothes, skin and muscles, but we can feel them for sure.  For most of us, turning the pelvis to fully face the long side of the mat is not really possible without creating strain in the hip joint.  Think of the pelvis as being able to sit fully over the thigh bones so that the ball of the thigh bones rests fully and easily in the hip socket without bumping up against any of the surfaces of the hip joint. 

If you experience any pinching or discomfort in the hips. I’d say let go of this notion of opening your pelvis to face the long side of your mat, and rather let that back hip (along with the foot and the knee, so we don’t create any torquing there) turn a bit forward and create ease. 

Remember the teaching, Sthira Sukham Asanam...we need every pose to feel both steady and easeful.

Thank you so much for reading and sharing your questions.  Please feel free to email me with more questions so we can keep learning and growing together!

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