Figure Four Yoga Pose for Beginners and Men | A Step-by-Step Tutorial

This is a great beginner’s stretch to release glute soreness and counteract muscle imbalances caused by sitting. It can also alleviate pressure on the sciatic nerve by stretching the piriformis muscle, a small gluteal muscle. This stretch is a good alternative to Pigeon, because it requires less hip mobility.

Figure Four Target Areas

• glutes
• hips

Figure Four Benefits

• Relieves lower-back pain
• Eases symptoms of sciatica
• Improves hip flexibility
• Speeds up glute recovery

– click images to enlarge –

How to Do Figure Four

1. Lie on your back. Lift your knees directly over your hips, and cross your right ankle over your left thigh to form a figure-4-shape with legs. Relax your arms. To protect the right knee, flex your right foot by reaching your toes toward your shin.
2. Interlace your fingers behind your left thigh. Rotate your right hip outward so your inner thigh faces you. Gently pull the left thigh toward your chest. Squeeze the right glutes for a more active stretch. Keep your back, neck, and head relaxed on the floor by tucking your chin and pressing navel toward the floor. Hold the posture, inhaling as you maintain the position, and exhaling as you deepen the stretch. Repeat on the other side.

Cues for Figure Four

• Inner thigh faces chest
• Relax head into floor
• Externally rotate right hip
• Keep head and shoulders relaxed on floor

WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL

• Stretch in outer hip and glute
• Release in lower back

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL

• Knee pain; avoid pressing knee forward and focus on rotating hip outward

Figure Four Pro Tip

Focus on the external rotation of your hip to stretch the glutes. Don’t worry about pressing your knee forward.

FIGURE FOUR POSE ALTERNATE VIEW

• Keep back flat by lightly engaging your core and tucking chin toward your throat. You may only need to pull the thigh in slightly to feel a stretch.