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Pose collection · 15 poses

Yoga poses for flexibility, from the hips to the shoulders

By the YogaPhilippines.com editorial teamUpdated 2 October 2026

Good yoga poses for flexibility include Downward-Facing Dog, Low Lunge, Lizard, Pigeon, Seated Forward Bend, Butterfly, Puppy and a lying twist. Hold each for five to ten slow breaths once you are warm, ease in rather than push, and practise a few times a week, since range changes gradually.

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Beginner

A woman in a sage set holds Downward-Facing Dog, hips high and arms straight, on a mat in a Makati condo studio at golden hour.

Downward-Facing Dog

Adho Mukha Svanasana
Backs of the legs, calves and shoulders. Pedal the heels and bend the knees freely.
A man folds forward in Standing Forward Bend with knees bent and palms on the floor beside his feet.

Standing Forward Bend

Uttanasana
Hamstrings and lower back. Let the head hang and keep the knees soft.
A woman in a stone set kneels in Low Lunge with her back knee on a folded blanket and hands on her front thigh.

Low Lunge

Anjaneyasana
Front of the back hip. Back knee on a blanket, hips easing forward, not collapsing.
A woman in an espresso set folds over her straight front leg in Pyramid Pose with her hands on cork blocks.

Pyramid Pose

Parsvottanasana
Hamstring of the front leg. Short stance, hands on blocks, hinge with a long spine.
A woman in an espresso set holds Triangle Pose, legs straight, lower hand on her shin and top arm reaching up, in a sunlit studio with palms.

Triangle Pose

Trikonasana
Side body and inner leg. Rest the lower hand on the shin or a block, never the knee joint.
A woman in a cream set folds between wide straight legs with hands on the mat in a wide-legged forward bend on a rooftop.

Wide Legged Forward Bend

Prasarita Padottanasana
Inner thighs and hamstrings. Feet wide and parallel, hands down, crown towards the floor.
A woman in a sage set melts her chest toward the mat in Puppy Pose, hips over knees and arms stretched forward.

Puppy Pose

Uttana Shishosana
Shoulders and upper back. Hips over the knees, chest melting towards the floor.
A man lies on his belly with hands under his shoulders and elbows bent, lifting his chest into Cobra Pose in a sunlit studio.

Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana
Front of the body. Low lift, elbows bent, shoulders away from the ears.
A man sits on a folded blanket and folds forward over straight legs, holding his feet, in a bright room with trees in the window.

Seated Forward Bend

Paschimottanasana
Hamstrings. Sit on a blanket, strap around the feet, fold from the hips.
A woman in an espresso set sits tall in Butterfly Pose, soles together and knees open, hands around her feet, on a Manila condo rooftop.

Butterfly Pose

Baddha Konasana
Inner thighs. Soles together, sit tall, fold forward only a little.
A woman in a cream set lies on her back holding the outsides of her feet with knees wide in Happy Baby Pose.

Happy Baby Pose

Ananda Balasana
Hips and lower back, lying down. Hold the backs of the thighs if the feet are far away.
A woman in a cream set lies in a Supine Twist, knees dropped to one side and arms open wide, seen from above.

Supine Twist

Supta Matsyendrasana
Spine and outer hips. Knees to one side, both shoulders resting on the floor.

Intermediate

A woman in an oat set holds Lizard Pose, front foot beside her hands and back knee on a blanket, in an open-air shala.

Lizard Pose

Utthan Pristhasana
Deeper hip opener from the lunge, both hands inside the front foot, on blocks if needed.
Seen from behind, a woman seated on a blanket clasps her hands between her shoulder blades in Cow Face Pose arms.

Cow Face Pose

Gomukhasana
Outer hips and shoulders. Use a strap between the hands if they do not meet.
A woman in a cream set sits upright in Pigeon Pose, front shin angled on the mat and back leg stretched straight behind her, in an open-air Siargao shala.

Pigeon Pose

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Outer hip of the front leg. A cushion under that hip keeps the front knee comfortable.
Printable A4 chart: Yoga poses for flexibility, from the hips to the shoulders, 15 poses with English and Sanskrit names
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Flexibility in yoga is less about touching your toes and more about moving through a fuller range without strain. These fifteen poses cover the places most people feel tight: the backs of the legs, the front and outside of the hips, the spine and the shoulders.

How your range changes, and how slowly, is explained in yoga for flexibility. This page is the pose list to practise from.

How long should you hold yoga poses for flexibility?

Five to ten slow breaths in each shape is a good start, roughly thirty seconds to a minute, once the body is warm. Breathe out as you ease a little deeper and stop where you feel a clear stretch, not pain. Longer holds of several minutes belong to Yin yoga, where the muscles stay relaxed on the floor.

Work in this order: standing shapes first, while you are fresh, then the hips, then the seated folds and the lying shapes at the end. Do both sides of every one-sided pose.

What should you avoid?

Bouncing, forcing a joint with your hands, and pulling hard on a rounded back in forward folds. Hamstrings in particular respond better to patience than to effort; seven ways to ease tight hamstrings adds a few non-yoga options if they are your main limit, and the yoga poses for tight hamstrings give a short practice for the backs of the legs alone. For drills you can do on days without a full practice, see flexibility exercises for the whole body.

Hypermobile bodies need the opposite advice: stop short of the end of the range and keep the muscles gently working. Sharp, pinching or nerve-like pain means come out of the pose; see a doctor or physio if it continues.

Where do these fit with other collections?

The sitting shapes are also on the page of seated yoga poses you can do on a cushion, and the gentlest of these appear among the easy yoga poses for slow days. If you would rather do the lying shapes in bed, the yoga poses lying down page shows how.

The printable card set has one card per pose, with the English and Sanskrit names.

Safety noteYoga is not medical care. Stop if anything feels sharp, pinching or numb, and see a doctor or physiotherapist about pain or an injury before you practise. Read the health and safety note.

Questions

Which yoga pose stretches the most of the body at once?

Downward-Facing Dog works the backs of the legs, the calves, the shoulders and the spine together, which is why it appears in so many classes. Bend the knees as much as you need to keep the back long.

Should you warm up before flexibility poses?

Yes. A few rounds of Cat-Cow, a Sun Salutation or five minutes of walking makes the deeper shapes more comfortable. Long holds on a cold body tend to feel tight and are easier to overdo.

How often should you do yoga poses for flexibility?

Three or four sessions a week of fifteen to twenty minutes is a steady rhythm for many people. Regular, moderate practice tends to suit the body better than an occasional long, hard stretch.

Keep reading

Yoga for flexibility: how your range changes, and how slowlyFlexibility exercises: a 15 minute routine for the whole bodySeven hamstring stretches, from standing to lying down