Skip to main content
Butterfly Posture featured image.

Butterfly

Emblem for the Earth Method of Internal Martial Art Practice

How to Perform the Posture

There are some crazy exercises to open the hips and regain flexibility in the pelvic girdle. Some of them involve a partner pushing or pulling legs to ever wider angles. Those just seem painful to me, and I should know, because I have tried some of them in the past.

Here is an exercise that you can do lying on your stomach that will open and relax the hip joints without having to become a contortionist.

Lie on your stomach with your hands above your head. The alignment of the body should be as in the Wuji Posture, but lying flat on the floor. Turn your head to the left so the right cheek and ear are against the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly.

Now pull your left leg up so the foot is at the height of the right knee, and the left knee is level with the hip. The left foot is below the left hip. If you cannot get the foot to knee height without experiencing some discomfort, then stop. Hold this position for a minute before straightening the left leg.

Butterfly left posture.

To repeat on the right side, turn your head to the right so the left cheek and ear are against the floor and then raise the right leg. Hold this position for a minute.

Butterfly right posture.

Leave a Reply

More from the Earth Component

Horse Posture Featured Image

Horse Posture

Traditional martial arts teach a low and wide stance called Ma Bu. My version of this stance develops leg strength without having to stand around all day.
Forward Bend featured image.

Forward Bend

We ignore our hips and waist more than we realize. Keeping your hips flexible seems obvious, but sitting too much, can really destroy your flexibility. Forward Bend is designed to open your hip joints and stretch your legs for Tai Chi or circle walking practice.
The Frog featured image.

The Frog

Related to the butterfly, the Frog posture opens your hips for internal martial art practice.