Yin Yoga · Hips · Flexibility
Half Shoelace and Deer, twice, and nothing else
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Two shapes, done on both sides, and that’s the whole ten minutes.
Half Shoelace first, for two minutes — one foot drawn in beside the opposite hip, knees roughly stacked, the bottom leg long. You’ll feel it down the back of the bottom leg and around the outer hip. Sit up on a block or cushion if the hips are tight; it makes a real difference.
Deer next, for ninety seconds. Both legs at right angles, one shin in front and one swung behind — Katie mentions its other name, 1990 pose, which is easier to remember. Don’t chase the alignment; it looks different on everyone. And it can feel like nothing at first, so let your weight drop into the hips rather than propping yourself up.
Then, without leaving Deer, lean towards the folded-back leg and draw that foot in for the quad. That’s the “legs” part of the title.
The same again on the other side, some windshield wipers, done.
Short, seated, no props, and it reaches internal rotation in the hip — which most hip sequences never touch.
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Because both legs sit at roughly ninety degrees — one shin in front, one swung out behind, each making a right angle. Katie mentions the nickname as she sets it up. The alignment doesn't need to be exact; what matters is a straight line between ankle and knee on each side.
That's a common first impression, and Katie names it in the class — at first it can feel like nothing much. The more weight you let drop down into the hips rather than holding yourself up, the more it turns up. It also reaches internal rotation, which almost nothing else does, so it's worth staying for.
Only if it's there. Folding is offered in both poses, but she flags that it may be less available in Deer than in Shoelace — sitting tall with a straight spine is a complete version of the pose.
Sit up on a block, a cushion or a folded blanket. Raising the hips makes both of these shapes far more accessible, and it's the first adjustment she offers.
From inside Deer. You lean over towards the side of the folded-back leg, take that foot in your hand, and draw it gently in. It's the same position, just used for the front of the thigh, which is why the class covers legs as well as hips in ten minutes.
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