Yoga practice to release piriformis tension
This home yoga practice will help you release tension in the piriformis muscles and other hip rotators. This practice is not so much about “hip opening” as it is about balancing the strength and flexibility in your hips. It may or may not be useful for sciatic issues, depending on where the pain is coming from (read more about the potential sources of sciatic pain). If any pose seems to irritate your hips, don’t do it. Give it a try and see if it works for you!
Looking at muscle relationships is an essential part of working with hips. Whatever the reason for hip pain, it is almost always accompanied by chronic muscle contraction somewhere in the hips and imbalanced muscle development.
Thanks for this great practice, Olga! It has a lot of poses I use regularly but some new variations, too. I really like your standing twist variation. I’m helping my daughter, who is a horseback rider and instructor, with some hip issues she developed from riding a horse that was too big for her, so this series of hip practices has been very useful. Thank you!!
Sure thing, Terry! I am so happy to hear that this is useful!
Hi Olga,
I really enjoy your website and videos. I am really grateful for this one in particular because it has helped me tune into and provide some therapeutic movement to some of the areas of my body that get a little abused due to my sport (horseback riding). It has helped me a lot, so thank you!
Thank you Tonia! I am so happy to hear that the practice is useful for you! I am curious – do you find that you need to work on adductor/abductor (inner/outer hip) relationship, as well? I would assume that because of the body’s position on a horse. And thank you for zeroing in on the most important point – a yoga practice needs to support and balance out what we already do in our lives, not overrun them 🙂
Yes, in fact I used to get terrible cramps in my hips while sitting on my horse… He was a very big, wide horse. I ended up selling him and I have a smaller horse now and I no longer have the cramping problem.
Smart move! Sometimes it’s easier to change the environment, then to constantly work on your body to adapt to it 🙂
I never in my life considered yoga until I had piriformis pain in my right butt that shoot pains down to my feet. There still is pain but not as bad as it was at first, how often can I do these exercises.
Hi Chris! I would recommend that you do it two or three times a week and see how it feels. I hope it helps!
You. You are awesome. I’ve just got to tell you. I don’t practice yoga nearly enough, and when I do, it’s those quick morning sequences that I am ashamed to admit – I kind of rush through when I’ve overslept. But you. This. I can’t even talk in complete sentences, I’m so excited! I recently admitted to my world that I’m struggling with depression, and with all my loved ones’ support on whatever method I decided to take as medicine, I recently began going on long walks and cadence jogging. My problem is that I wanted this life-medicine so badly, I kind of overdid it. lol. Two mile jogs both yesterday and the day before left me [incredibly proud of myself and excited, but also] in incredible pain. I wasn’t able to stretch it out with normal post-jog stretches, ibuprofen just isn’t doing it for me, I needed something else. After much research, I found this website and immediately took my afternoon off to try this video. This did so much more than just help my tension. I feel so relaxed, so rejuvenated, so comfortable in my own body all of a sudden, much more than I was before I was strained. Thank you, thank you so much.
Hi Lena, thank you so much for your wonderful comment! I am SO happy to hear that the practice had such an impact on you! That’s why I practice yoga, too – the body stuff is great, working out the kinks is awesome, but to me it’s more important how I show up in my life. So to hear that it came across and had a similar impact on you is so-so rewarding! So thank you for making my day 🙂 Wishing you all the best on your journey, sounds like you have a great thing going (even if it becomes overzealous sometimes :)) Please keep me posted on your progress!
It would be so helpful if you had these Piriformis exercises on DVD that I could just play instead of having to watch on small computer screen.
I do your adductor/abductor practices, hip strengthening + sacrum stability practices often + they have helped my SI joint issues. I’ve avoided this particular practice as external rotated practices aggravate my issues + sure enough it did, I can barely do the #12 in the external rotated position, which tells me I do need to strengthen my external rotators, it’s the stretches that seem to aggravate my SI joints. Any suggestions? Thank you so much for your practices.
This is no surprise, it’s a touch maneuver. Can you lift the leg and just hold it there for few breaths? More likely then not the toes will try to turn down toward the floor. Just preventing them from doing that and keeping your foot parallel to the floor will work your hip rotators. If this is still problematic bend the knee and keep the leg parallel to the floor. If that doesn’t work skip the move all together and focus on #7, working on keeping the bent knee over the ankle. Hope this helps!
Your a dear to reply to all of us. Thank you so much!!
Over Five years later..after I’ve been strengthening (I’m an ex-limp noodle yogi used to be all about flexibility) – I can do this practice + it’s so effective to keep those external rotators strong – yet supple. I have very little S.I.J. issues anymore YIPPIE!!
I can not thank you enough ..I wish you would have a virtual “tip” jar/gratitude jar so that we can support your efforts + express our gratitude monetarily . I’ve bought almost all of your paid practices…but feel thats not enough.
Virtual HUG
Oh wow, this is so wonderful! I am so happy to hear about your progress! I know how difficult it is to stabilize one’s structure, so kudos to your determination and perseverance! Hearing about experiences like yours is my greatest reward, thank you so much for sharing!
I tried this sequence and my butt already feels better after ~1 year of pain. THANK YOU!!!
My concerns are for my son. He’s 6’6″ , 25yrs. young, a server in a restaurant & a drummer.
He started having pain in his left butt cheek that quickly moved in to a shooting pain down the leg
to the back of his knee. Extending his leg is very painful. Some of the comments here seem to be about the same injury to the piriformis muscle. I’m wondering what the best way to diagnose this injury would be.
Thanks in advance for any info. you can help with!
Kim
I have pain at my right butt please help me
Hi
I’m a young 52 year old woman that had a solid week of moving, followed by 2 days of gardening. My lower back was screaming but I have had that before, even been hospitalized 3x for pain management- this time, I got in a car, drove 4 hours to my bffs house in Vermont so that my dogs could run around and I didn’t have to walk them. By the time I reached her house I couldn’t even get out of the car. I rested for days, did ice and heat and my back was better but I had the most horrendous pain in the center of my left butt cheek. Sitting was impossible, getting into bed actually made me cry! ( I have rsd in my left foot so my pain tolerance is very high). I had never experienced anything like this, ouch! Last night I had had it, I need to get home, it’s been 2 weeks and I’m tired of the pain. I spent hours looking this up and finally figured that I have a tight pitiformis muscle most likely impinging on my siatic nerve. When I lay still it’s discomfort, but move and it’s excruciating. I trust the practice of yoga and decided to try your video- after 2 times I already have more flexibility. I cannot to the bridge at all, that sends me through the roof, but I feel if I continue to do this 2x a day, I may be able to get my life back!!! THANK YOU!!!! I didn’t see anything on line about what to do when the pain was so acute, I’m hoping I’m doing the right thing- I’m not into taking pain meds, it’s just a band aid- I’d appreciate anything you could tell me, and again, thank you!!?
The sequence to release piriformis tension really helped me. Is it possible to do this sequence too often? Is once a day okay?
Thanks for your help. This worked really well for me and I’m looking forward to trying your sequence to improve walking ability.
This video for the piriformis is really helpful. I have stiffness in my right hip and buttock. Your voice is so soothing and instructions so easy to follow which motivates me to do this practice when I need it.
I have been doing the yoga for hip abductors and adductors hoping it would help relieve some of my
lower back, butt and leg pain. I also have scoliosis, degenerative disc syndrome and 2 buldging discs. What sequence would you suggest I try for pain relief?
Can I buy the individual dvd for releasing piriformis tension that I can actually play in my living room where I have room to actually perform these moves??? I sure hope so. I have been suffering this for so
long and am praying that this works.
Hi Leslie! I do not sell any DVDs of practices. Did you try using your smart phone or tablet? My videos work on those, too. Please give it a try and if you find this practice to be useful for you, we can talk about making a dvd for you.
Hi Olga! Thanks for another great practice! I’m slowly working my way through your entire library. Question with the last pose here when we’re doing the breathing. You say to focus on lifting up on the inhale and relaxing the hips on the exhale. When I do this my pelvis tilts backwards and I feel like I’m going to rolly-polly onto my back. If I keep some tension in my back or hip flexors then I can stay upright, but releasing it all feels very unstable. Am I missing something?
Hi Pinkie! We’ve already established that it is easy for your pelvis to tip; in fact we want to create some stability in the relationship between your pelvis and your spine. I would strongly discourage you from tensing your back or your hips though – we don’t want to build tension there. Instead every time you exhale think of gently hugging your waist in toward the center while keeping your hips relaxed. It might take some practice to separate what’s happening on your core from what’s happening in your hips, but it is definitely worth practicing. I have a feeling that because of your background your hips are used to picking up the slack when your core is not doing its job. So whenever you practice try to move your hips while keeping the core stable, which usually means gently hugging the waist in on the exhale. Does that make sense?
Thank you so much for the gift of this practice! Two days ago every step hurt and I could not sleep since lying on my sides or back hurt so much. I found your video when I was trying to figure out what was going on with the pain high in my upper glute and ache in the hip joint. I believe I may have hurt myself in a lizard lunge twist (lunge grabbing back foot) where I was not warmed up and was stiff from lifting stuff at home – made worse by running the next day in the cold. I am a yoga teacher and have restorative training, but my problems were beyond my training. My first time through your video I was able to sleep through the night! It is wonderful to be able to practice and work on the pain caused by my injury with your help. I can’t tell you how much it means that I can get this level of help!
Hi Mel! I am delighted to hear that this practice was useful to you. It is always great when we can find something that works right away. Wishing you speedy recovery!
I feel really good after this practice . I have been searching for something like this online and just came across it tonight , exactly what the doctor ordered . i will be doing this many times again and hopefully get pain free . many thanks.
Wow, did this and again could barely do #12, I ended doing few more passive piriformis releasing, so I could be comfortable in savasana. ***What I noticed when I went to sit to type this, that my sacrum felt very supported + was able to sit with neutral pelvis + spine without my low back having to do all the work to support an upright sitting position…interesting. Conclusion, I need more external rotator strengthening first then some release…vs just stretching/releasing the area. Thank you very much Olga!
Iam87 years old can not do the exercises du to Ostio fell on the ‘steps on my knees then pain in butt creepy feelings on leg and pain in side of leg please advice thank you
Wow, doing that yoga video provided the most relief I’ve felt in a long time! The poses are slow and easy and gradual and feel great. The verbal descriptions and the pose demos by the instructor are really helpful. Thank you VERY much. I’ll be practicing this regularly.
This is fantastic to hear! I am so glad that you were able to find relief. I hope it lasts!
Really good video. Suffer from tight hips, and recently pain in buttocks. Lots of different moves that i used .
Dear Olga,
I rarely comment online, but this I have to write to you: My right hip is very tight and I’m guessing the right piriformiş is the culprit (I’m a ryt). I was in pain doing number 12 working the right hip, noticing how little movement I have there compared to the left. Then, on releasing the right foot down, I started sobbing out of nowhere. I know it’s a sign of release, so I let it wash over me. Right now, after the practice, my hips feel so light!!
This was my first time doing yoga with you, and one of the few times I tried Viniyoga. My body tends to be tight and becomes only a little bendy after thorough warmups – I lack so much of the flexibility my peers achieved after 4 years of yoga and numerous trainings. Lately I stopped despairing over it and asking why, and instead decided to go for the yoga that makes me feel good. Thank you for the grand introduction into Viniyoga!
This is the first time I did this video. I just stumbled upon it out of desperation. I hope it will be helpful as I have so much discomfort in my right hip.
Thank you this really helped me!
This is an amazing yoga sequence and it has been so very helpful with my piriformis and hip issues. Thank you so much. You are a wonderful teacher and I recommend your site to my friends. Thanks.
Hi Olga,I’m 68 healthy but with spinal fusion (lower back). I get this terrible pain in my left butt across to the he back of the leg. It’s nightmare sitting. I have just recently been told that I have a full thickness tear in the glute minimus and 5cm tear in the medius. What stretch can I do to release the piriformis that won’t exacerbate the right side. Much appreciated Rosemary
Hi Rosemary, so sorry to hear about your pain! Are you seeing a doctor or physical therapist for that? I wouldn’t recommend any generalized stretches for your situation; you would benefit much more from a careful gradual exploration of different movements that do not irritated the damaged area. Where do you live? May be we can find you a qualified yoga therapist in your area.
Hi Olga,I’m scheduled to see an Orthopedic surgeon early December,apparently he repairs the torn muscles by stitching back in place. Hopefully I won’t have to wait long unfortunately the Public Health system can be quite overloaded. I live in Warwick Western Australia. I appreciate your quick response and suggestions. Rosemary
I didn’t know where my lower back pain came from and the yoga moves people kept recommending just made it worse! This is the only sequence that instantly releaves me of pain. Thank you so much for this great video.
I am so happy to hear that you find this practice helpful Claudine!
Thank you!