Half Butterfly pose …a wonderful Yin Yoga posture where you can also incorporate a forward fold to work your spine into flexion all while getting into your hips and hamstrings. Later I show how you can even do a side body lateral stretch too.
The intention for this Half Butterfly pose (and any Yin Yoga pose for that matter), is to relax and allow gravity to do its thing, especially the muscles along the back line of your leg for Half Butterfly. Relax and release any tension or grip in the back of our legs.
We hold Yin Yoga postures in stillness and for time. Anywhere from 3-5mins or even longer. To truly get into those deeper connective tissues (fascia, joints, tendons, ligaments).
But before you get into a pose and start your practice, ask…
What is your intention? Release in hamstrings or spine? Or maybe both? Maybe your intention is more mindful? Rather than physical.
Ask yourself what is your intention for your practice? for this pose?
This Yin Yoga posture is a focused one, as the half version of butterfly allows you to focus on one leg at a time. Giving some extra love and attention to your one hamstring. Whereas in the full version of butterfly the hamstring stretch and release isn’t as profound (for most people but not all). Some might say that the groin stretch in the full butterfly, with our souls of our feet together, is deeper and more intense especially when souls of our feet are closer to the body. The groin stretch is not quite felt the same way in the half butterfly variation, as this variation targets the hamstrings more.
Like in any yoga practice, and like the guru of Yin Yoga, Bernie Clark would ask anytime we are practicing any yoga modality, “what is your intention”? (1).
If you wanna work on your hamstrings more maybe that’s half butterfly variation is better. Maybe you don’t fold forward as you don’t want to work the spine and just focus on your hip and hamstring.
Half Butterfly Yin Yoga Pose with a forward fold, works our spine into flexion and can be a great release for the low back and tendons, fascia and ligaments all along the spine. If you allow gravity to do its thing and let your head hang you can even feel this into your cervical spine.
Physical & mental/mindful benefits of Half Butterfly
Stretches the low back and hips (1)
Targets ligaments all along the spine (only when folding forward) (1)
Foot closer to groin, adductors get a stretch (1)
Feet futher from groin, hamstrings get a stretch (1)
If you’re doing the side bend/lateral extension (instead of folding forward) this offers nice tension release for side we are trying to lengthen
Meridian lines stimulated is the gall bladder and urinary bladder. When gall bladder is out of balance emotions of anger, irritability, anger, frustration, resentment, jealousy and envy are prominent. Urinary bladder imbalanced shows up as lack of energy and negative attitude (1)
Yin yoga can help release strong emotions from your tissues bringing back balance emotionally allowing the energy to flow through the body leading to a more positive outlook. (1)
Release tension in the body
“Issues from your tissues” release and leave the body. There is that saying that whatever stress we endure in our day to day lives goes somewhere in the body, and if we actively don’t practice to release that tension and stress, the tension and stress gets stored in our tissues, and we become tense physically. Yin yoga is a great way to again release the issues from our tissues.
Check out my Blog Post on the Full Version of Butterfly Pose
How to get into Half Butterfly?
Find a comfortable seat
Straighten both legs straight out in front of you
Take the fleshy bits of your bottom out from underneath you to make sure you hinge at your hips (if you’re going to choose to fold forward)
You may want to sit up on a chip block (foam block) or a bolster to offer more space for your low back
Starting with our right leg straight the targeted area is our right legs hamstring and the left leg bent targets our hip
Allow your left leg that’s bent, the left soul of the foot gently places onto the inner right thigh
Sit up tall and begin to hinge at the hips either over your straight leg or infront of your bent legs chin bone (yogis choice, see what variation of folding forward suits you best! Or you can always try both, hold 3 mins one variation, 3 mins the other)
Once you fold forward you can begin to round at the mid and upper back.
TIP: If you’re head is too heavy or you find it too intense without using props, grab a yoga prop like a bolster, or block(s) and place them either under your arms or across the straight legs thigh to lean your forearms on
The other option is to do a side band to get a nice lateral extension. See the pictures below of different variations.
Hold the Yin posture anywhere from 3-5 mins (eventually you can try to go 5-8mins hold or longer) in relative stillness and for time
Remember to ALWAYS come out gently and counter the posture by either doing windshield wipers or even lay down in savasana for a few moments before moving to the other side
Switch sides once you counter pose
&
Don’t forget to hold the same time on the other leg!
Counter Pose for Half Butterfly Pose
Leaning back on your hands coming up right and then straightening both legs and wiggling them out
Lay down in corpse pose / savasana to observe the effects of pose and longer hold
Lean back on your hands straight in the legs and allow yourself to bring the chest up to the sky, you can even try to lean your head back to get a nice throat stretch. With your legs straight you can also try to point your toes forward and then up to the sky, repeat as desired
As I always say for counter poses move or don’t move, find what works for you after you come out of a long held pose
Enjoy the deep release! Your hamstrings will thank you! And hey maybe your spine too!
If you decide to fold forward or do a lateral bend then you can also get physical benefits for your back and or spine which can be nice targeting more than one area of the body in one pose.
Keep in mind when practicing Yin Yoga, always move with ease, approach or edge rather than striving to look like me in the photos. Start your practice from within and ask yourself where do I feel it? What does it feel like? Is it painful? Or is it offering a nice release?
Namaste,
Marzena
Check out my other blog posts on Yin Yoga…
Sources & Other Resources
Yin Pose Info taken from the book, The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga (Bernie Clark, 2005)
Half butterfly pose Yin Yoga Website https://yinyoga.com/yinsights/half-butterfly/
A great YouTube video from Bernie Clark on how to get into half butterfly ! It’s an oldie but a goodie https://youtu.be/J0q-A14sDGA
Yin yoga gets its name from the concept of "Yin" and "Yang," which are fundamental principles in traditional Chinese philosophy, particularly in Taoism. Yin and Yang represent two opposing, yet complementary, forces that are interconnected and interdependent.