Week 3 of May might look a little familiar to you if you’ve been with the stretch of the week blog from the beginning. It’s called High Lunge. In this variation we are focusing on getting a deeper stretch through the psoas though. So it’s different I promise! 🙂

You will need two yoga blocks or something similar, and a wall for this stretch. 

How to do the High Lunge with Psoas Emphasis:

1. Set yourself up in a low lunge with the right foot forward and the left foot back. The left heel will be on the wall, and the toes will be on the floor, as shown in the photo marked step one.

2. From here, stack the first yoga block on its tallest height. Then set a second yoga block on its smallest height on top of the first block. Place the two blocks underneath your right sit bone area (that would be located at the top of the back of the thigh where the hamstring and the Glute meet).

3. Place the hands on the right thigh, then start to straighten the left leg. The knee should be off the floor, and the heel should be into the wall. Make the back leg as straight as you possibly can. Push as hard as you can into the wall with the heel. Shown in the top right photo marked step 2.

4. The yoga blocks may need to be shifted around a little bit once the back leg is straightened out, but make sure that they are supporting your right leg and are resting underneath your sit bone area. Then reach and extend the arms to the ceiling. Pull the belly button towards the spine and then up towards the diaphragm to keep the low back protected and the front of the body engaged. You should feel the stretch through the front of the left hip.

Tip: if you are on the shorter side, like me, you may only need one yoga block on the tallest height. This would be step three as shown in the bottom left photo.

5. The stronger and straighter you make the left leg the more you will intensify the stretch. Make sure that the front knee is not going over the toes and the arms are not bent. Also don’t lean forward. You don’t want to be like the photo in the bottom right corner. Stay here for 8 full breath cycles.

Questions? Email me at rlackowski@athletico.com and view other stretches here.