July 21, 2025 • 14 mins
In this episode we cover:
- why hip openers look so different from student to student
- take a look over a few poses and what to look out for
- why no amount of stretching will make certain bodies look like what we see in yoga photos, and
- what you can do in your yoga classes to help your students understand their body’s makeup and how to adapt their practice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Monica (00:00):
In this episode we'll cover why hip openers look so
different from student tostudent.
Take a look over a few poses andwhat to look out for, why no
amount of stretching will makecertain bodies look like what we
see in yoga photos and what youcan do in your yoga classes to
help your students understandtheir body's makeup and how to
(00:24):
adapt their practice.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
(00:45):
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
(01:08):
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
(01:28):
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so glad thatyou're here.
Here is where we get real aboutYoga's role in helping students
with conditions and injuries andwhat you can do to help them
(01:49):
find relief while they're inyour classes.
Today's topic might help yousee.
Every hip related pose a littlebit differently from now on.
In this episode, we'll cover whyhip openers look so different
from student to student And whyno amount of stretching will
make certain bodies look likewhat we see in yoga photos.
(02:12):
We're gonna go deep into anatomytoday, specifically the
structure of the hip joint, howit varies from person to person,
and why this variation mattersso much.
Im postures like Moana, frogWarrior two and more.
So if you've been taking notesin your journal while you've
(02:33):
been listening to theseepisodes, and I do suggest that
you do that, go get yourjournal.
You'll wanna be taking noteswhile you listen.
I.
All right.
let's get into the structure ofthe hip joint.
The hip joint is a ball andsocket joint.
Imagine the connection betweenthe femoral head, which is the
rounded top of the thigh boneand the acetabulum, the socket
(02:57):
in the pelvis where the femurfits because of its structure,
the hip joint allows flexion,extension, abduction, adduction.
Internal and external rotation,and circumduction, meaning a
circular motion.
But here's the key.
(03:18):
This range of motion variesdramatically from one person to
another and not just because offlexibility or strength.
I'm gonna help you understandwhy the acetabulum varies in
depth.
Some students' sockets areshallow and other students are
deep, but it also varies inorientation.
(03:42):
Some have sockets that face moreforward, some more to the side,
and some slightly downward.
This orientation is key becauseit determines how the femur
moves safely and comfortably inthe hip socket.
The femoral head varies in size,roundness and positioning the
(04:03):
neck to shaft angle called theangle of inclination affects how
the femur moves in theacetabulum.
And there's also version, somefemurs are verted angled more
forward or retroverted angledmore backward.
These differences are bone deepand no amount of stretching is
(04:27):
going to change them.
It's important to remember thiswhen you're teaching and talking
with your students.
They may not understand this,but you will, Another layer that
doesn't get talked about enoughis that movement patterns in
childhood help shape the hipjoint.
The body adapts to how it's usedin early development.
(04:50):
Bone shape is still forming, sokids who spend lots of time
squatting.
Crawling or climbing or who satcross-legged, in floor seated
positions, or who moved in.
Diverse and natural ways maydevelop hips with a wider range
of motion, especially in aexternal rotation and abduction.
(05:14):
On the other hand, children whospent most of their time sitting
in chairs didn't explore deepsquat patterns, or had limited
movement.
Variety may develop joints withless bony clearance, making
poses like moosal or frog feelcompressive or even painful, not
(05:35):
because the muscles are tight,but because there's bone to bone
restriction.
And this isn't a flaw.
It's just natural variationsfrom one human to another.
So what's this got to do withyou?
Well, as a yoga teacher, it'sgot a lot to do with you.
I say this all the time, weteach movement, so we have to
(05:57):
have a solid understanding ofit.
To be clear, you don't know whatyour student's skeletal makeup
is, and they probably haven'tbeen x-rayed to see unless
they've experienced an injury,which would require one.
So this information you have tokeep in the back of your mind as
you watch your students move andsee how this shows up in yoga
(06:20):
poses.
Let's take a look at fivespecific yoga poses where
skeletal variation in the hipsbecomes.
Really apparent there are otherconcerns like the ankles and the
knees.
But for the purpose of thisepisode, we'll stay mainly
focused on the hips.
The first pose is Moana, a yogasquat.
(06:43):
This pose requires deep hipflexion, external rotation, and
abduction all at once.
For some students, it's deeplycomfortable and they can stay
without any issues.
For others, the femoral neck mayhit the rim of the acetabulum
early, Causing a pinchingsensation or a feeling of being
(07:05):
stuck.
Maybe they feel like they can'tsquat fully and it's not about
stretching more.
I.
Here's some indicators that astudent might have limitations
due to bony restrictions.
You'll see that their torso isleaning far forward or that they
lift their heels in order tocompensate around limitations in
(07:28):
the hip, and they complain thatthey feel a sharp hip pinching
even after they've warmed theirbodies up.
The next pose is.
Frog pose often thought of as adeep hip opener.
frog requires extreme abductionand external rotation.
(07:48):
Some students will naturallyrest here with no problem.
Others will hit bone on bonecompression early, regardless of
muscular flexibility.
You can see this in students whofind it difficult to open their
knees wide or who have a lot ofspace between their mat and
their pelvis.
(08:10):
Alright, number three is Warriortwo.
Super common pose in yoga.
It seems simple, right?
But the front hip is in externalrotation, flexion, and abduction
while the back hip is inabduction, away from the midline
of the body, and possibly insome slight extension and.
(08:32):
Internal rotation, depending onthe placement of the back foot.
Students with limited externalrotation might struggle to track
the front knee over their ankle.
It will look like it's drawingin.
If you're queuing them to squaretheir hips towards one side of
the room.
It will also draw their frontknee in, making it difficult to
(08:56):
keep the hips square and trackthe knee straightforward.
Okay, let's talk about LotusPose.
This is a classic example ofskeletal limitation.
Lotus pose requires extremeexternal rotation, hip flexion,
abduction, and knee flexion.
(09:16):
A combination that only workssafely if the hip joint allows
for it.
For some students, this isaccessible for many.
It will never be safe or painfree, no matter how long they
practice.
You'll see students with theirknees raised high away from
their mat, which gives you anindication that their hip,
(09:37):
external rotation is probablylimited.
And finally there's bound anglepose.
Even this seemingly gentle posecan reveal a lot.
Students with more retrovertedfemurs may have knees that stay
higher, and that's not abouttightness.
(09:59):
It's.
More about their structure.
If you come along and offer anassist and try to push their
knees or thighs down, you caneither feel that there's a bony
restriction that will preventthe movement or it can cause
stress at their inner knee andgroin.
But why does all of this matter?
You just wanna teach a yogaclass and not have to be
(10:22):
concerned about students' bones,right?
Well, students cannot.
Stretch their way around theirbones, and your students
shouldn't have to conform totextbook shapes that weren't
designed for their own personalanatomy.
When you decide to become a yogateacher, you agree to
understanding skeletal variationamong your students.
(10:46):
This allows you to cue withoptions instead of expectations.
Normalize different expressionsof a pose, prevent students.
From forcing range, they didn'tactually have and support
students with injuries, chronicpain or mobility.
Limitations in ways that feelempowering and not shameful.
(11:11):
Instead of asking yourself, whycan't they do the pose, or why
can't they make the pose, lookthe way that I'm queuing, ask
yourself what version of thispose respects the structure of
this student's body?
You know, I'd never leave youhanging without some ideas or
(11:32):
some strategies that you canimplement in your classes right
now.
so think about offering variousstance options, whether it's a
wider or more narrow stance instanding poses, normalize
students with knees up in Banaand ask the whole class to use
(11:53):
props for support.
Teach seated Moana variationswith blocks or a half squat
variation with forearms on thethighs.
This variation actually requiresmore work on the student's part,
but it will help students whocan't squat as deeply due to
(12:13):
bony restrictions.
Let students choose frog on thefloor.
Maybe it's at the wall.
Or not at all, or maybe evenchild's pose.
Instead, let go of the idea of awide opening of the hips as an
achievement and let it be anoption or an experience to be
(12:34):
felt and explored.
Use language like find a stancethat feels stable for your hips.
The shape of your bones quitepossibly affects how this pose
will look and feel in your body.
Or you could say, allow yourhips to open to the point that
feels right for you withouttrying to force your movement.
(12:57):
Just let it be what it is.
And finally help students seethe value in celebrating the
function of the pose and not theaesthetic.
Every student's hip joint isshaped by genetics, movement,
history, and bone structure.
No two hips will look or moveexactly the same, and that's not
(13:19):
a limitation.
It's just human, and it's how wediffer from person to person.
When you teach with thisunderstanding, you help students
feel safe, capable, and welcomein their own bodies just as they
are.
If you found this helpful andwant to learn more about
adapting poses for real bodies,especially those with injuries
(13:42):
or limitations, stick aroundbecause this is the work I do
with yoga teachers,understanding anatomy,
biomechanics, and the effectsyoga also not have on the body
helps you help your students.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes.
(14:03):
Sizes, alignment and abilitiescome to your classes and you can
serve them all.
You know that.
My goal is for you to love theyoga teaching life.
It's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops.
(14:24):
And share it with another yogateacher who you think would love
to be in on these conversations.
And thank you for helping tospread the word about this
podcast.
Alright, that's it for now.
Bye.
In this episode we'll cover why hip openers look so
different from student tostudent.
Take a look over a few poses andwhat to look out for, why no
amount of stretching will makecertain bodies look like what we
see in yoga photos and what youcan do in your yoga classes to
help your students understandtheir body's makeup and how to
(00:24):
adapt their practice.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
(00:45):
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
(01:08):
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
(01:28):
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so glad thatyou're here.
Here is where we get real aboutYoga's role in helping students
with conditions and injuries andwhat you can do to help them
(01:49):
find relief while they're inyour classes.
Today's topic might help yousee.
Every hip related pose a littlebit differently from now on.
In this episode, we'll cover whyhip openers look so different
from student to student And whyno amount of stretching will
make certain bodies look likewhat we see in yoga photos.
(02:12):
We're gonna go deep into anatomytoday, specifically the
structure of the hip joint, howit varies from person to person,
and why this variation mattersso much.
Im postures like Moana, frogWarrior two and more.
So if you've been taking notesin your journal while you've
(02:33):
been listening to theseepisodes, and I do suggest that
you do that, go get yourjournal.
You'll wanna be taking noteswhile you listen.
I.
All right.
let's get into the structure ofthe hip joint.
The hip joint is a ball andsocket joint.
Imagine the connection betweenthe femoral head, which is the
rounded top of the thigh boneand the acetabulum, the socket
(02:57):
in the pelvis where the femurfits because of its structure,
the hip joint allows flexion,extension, abduction, adduction.
Internal and external rotation,and circumduction, meaning a
circular motion.
But here's the key.
(03:18):
This range of motion variesdramatically from one person to
another and not just because offlexibility or strength.
I'm gonna help you understandwhy the acetabulum varies in
depth.
Some students' sockets areshallow and other students are
deep, but it also varies inorientation.
(03:42):
Some have sockets that face moreforward, some more to the side,
and some slightly downward.
This orientation is key becauseit determines how the femur
moves safely and comfortably inthe hip socket.
The femoral head varies in size,roundness and positioning the
(04:03):
neck to shaft angle called theangle of inclination affects how
the femur moves in theacetabulum.
And there's also version, somefemurs are verted angled more
forward or retroverted angledmore backward.
These differences are bone deepand no amount of stretching is
(04:27):
going to change them.
It's important to remember thiswhen you're teaching and talking
with your students.
They may not understand this,but you will, Another layer that
doesn't get talked about enoughis that movement patterns in
childhood help shape the hipjoint.
The body adapts to how it's usedin early development.
(04:50):
Bone shape is still forming, sokids who spend lots of time
squatting.
Crawling or climbing or who satcross-legged, in floor seated
positions, or who moved in.
Diverse and natural ways maydevelop hips with a wider range
of motion, especially in aexternal rotation and abduction.
(05:14):
On the other hand, children whospent most of their time sitting
in chairs didn't explore deepsquat patterns, or had limited
movement.
Variety may develop joints withless bony clearance, making
poses like moosal or frog feelcompressive or even painful, not
(05:35):
because the muscles are tight,but because there's bone to bone
restriction.
And this isn't a flaw.
It's just natural variationsfrom one human to another.
So what's this got to do withyou?
Well, as a yoga teacher, it'sgot a lot to do with you.
I say this all the time, weteach movement, so we have to
(05:57):
have a solid understanding ofit.
To be clear, you don't know whatyour student's skeletal makeup
is, and they probably haven'tbeen x-rayed to see unless
they've experienced an injury,which would require one.
So this information you have tokeep in the back of your mind as
you watch your students move andsee how this shows up in yoga
(06:20):
poses.
Let's take a look at fivespecific yoga poses where
skeletal variation in the hipsbecomes.
Really apparent there are otherconcerns like the ankles and the
knees.
But for the purpose of thisepisode, we'll stay mainly
focused on the hips.
The first pose is Moana, a yogasquat.
(06:43):
This pose requires deep hipflexion, external rotation, and
abduction all at once.
For some students, it's deeplycomfortable and they can stay
without any issues.
For others, the femoral neck mayhit the rim of the acetabulum
early, Causing a pinchingsensation or a feeling of being
(07:05):
stuck.
Maybe they feel like they can'tsquat fully and it's not about
stretching more.
I.
Here's some indicators that astudent might have limitations
due to bony restrictions.
You'll see that their torso isleaning far forward or that they
lift their heels in order tocompensate around limitations in
(07:28):
the hip, and they complain thatthey feel a sharp hip pinching
even after they've warmed theirbodies up.
The next pose is.
Frog pose often thought of as adeep hip opener.
frog requires extreme abductionand external rotation.
(07:48):
Some students will naturallyrest here with no problem.
Others will hit bone on bonecompression early, regardless of
muscular flexibility.
You can see this in students whofind it difficult to open their
knees wide or who have a lot ofspace between their mat and
their pelvis.
(08:10):
Alright, number three is Warriortwo.
Super common pose in yoga.
It seems simple, right?
But the front hip is in externalrotation, flexion, and abduction
while the back hip is inabduction, away from the midline
of the body, and possibly insome slight extension and.
(08:32):
Internal rotation, depending onthe placement of the back foot.
Students with limited externalrotation might struggle to track
the front knee over their ankle.
It will look like it's drawingin.
If you're queuing them to squaretheir hips towards one side of
the room.
It will also draw their frontknee in, making it difficult to
(08:56):
keep the hips square and trackthe knee straightforward.
Okay, let's talk about LotusPose.
This is a classic example ofskeletal limitation.
Lotus pose requires extremeexternal rotation, hip flexion,
abduction, and knee flexion.
(09:16):
A combination that only workssafely if the hip joint allows
for it.
For some students, this isaccessible for many.
It will never be safe or painfree, no matter how long they
practice.
You'll see students with theirknees raised high away from
their mat, which gives you anindication that their hip,
(09:37):
external rotation is probablylimited.
And finally there's bound anglepose.
Even this seemingly gentle posecan reveal a lot.
Students with more retrovertedfemurs may have knees that stay
higher, and that's not abouttightness.
(09:59):
It's.
More about their structure.
If you come along and offer anassist and try to push their
knees or thighs down, you caneither feel that there's a bony
restriction that will preventthe movement or it can cause
stress at their inner knee andgroin.
But why does all of this matter?
You just wanna teach a yogaclass and not have to be
(10:22):
concerned about students' bones,right?
Well, students cannot.
Stretch their way around theirbones, and your students
shouldn't have to conform totextbook shapes that weren't
designed for their own personalanatomy.
When you decide to become a yogateacher, you agree to
understanding skeletal variationamong your students.
(10:46):
This allows you to cue withoptions instead of expectations.
Normalize different expressionsof a pose, prevent students.
From forcing range, they didn'tactually have and support
students with injuries, chronicpain or mobility.
Limitations in ways that feelempowering and not shameful.
(11:11):
Instead of asking yourself, whycan't they do the pose, or why
can't they make the pose, lookthe way that I'm queuing, ask
yourself what version of thispose respects the structure of
this student's body?
You know, I'd never leave youhanging without some ideas or
(11:32):
some strategies that you canimplement in your classes right
now.
so think about offering variousstance options, whether it's a
wider or more narrow stance instanding poses, normalize
students with knees up in Banaand ask the whole class to use
(11:53):
props for support.
Teach seated Moana variationswith blocks or a half squat
variation with forearms on thethighs.
This variation actually requiresmore work on the student's part,
but it will help students whocan't squat as deeply due to
(12:13):
bony restrictions.
Let students choose frog on thefloor.
Maybe it's at the wall.
Or not at all, or maybe evenchild's pose.
Instead, let go of the idea of awide opening of the hips as an
achievement and let it be anoption or an experience to be
(12:34):
felt and explored.
Use language like find a stancethat feels stable for your hips.
The shape of your bones quitepossibly affects how this pose
will look and feel in your body.
Or you could say, allow yourhips to open to the point that
feels right for you withouttrying to force your movement.
(12:57):
Just let it be what it is.
And finally help students seethe value in celebrating the
function of the pose and not theaesthetic.
Every student's hip joint isshaped by genetics, movement,
history, and bone structure.
No two hips will look or moveexactly the same, and that's not
(13:19):
a limitation.
It's just human, and it's how wediffer from person to person.
When you teach with thisunderstanding, you help students
feel safe, capable, and welcomein their own bodies just as they
are.
If you found this helpful andwant to learn more about
adapting poses for real bodies,especially those with injuries
(13:42):
or limitations, stick aroundbecause this is the work I do
with yoga teachers,understanding anatomy,
biomechanics, and the effectsyoga also not have on the body
helps you help your students.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes.
(14:03):
Sizes, alignment and abilitiescome to your classes and you can
serve them all.
You know that.
My goal is for you to love theyoga teaching life.
It's important to understandmovement and the issues students
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops.
(14:24):
And share it with another yogateacher who you think would love
to be in on these conversations.
And thank you for helping tospread the word about this
podcast.
Alright, that's it for now.
Bye.
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