Yoga Glossary · Muscles
Hip flexors (iliopsoas)
The deep muscles that lift the thigh toward the torso — and pull tight from hours of sitting.
Hip flexion is produced by a group of muscles, the deepest and most important being the iliopsoas: the psoas runs from the lower spine through the pelvis, joined by the iliacus, to attach on the inner thigh bone. The rectus femoris of the quadriceps and several smaller muscles assist. The psoas is the only muscle linking the spine directly to the legs.
Every lift of the leg — marching into Warrior III, stepping through from Down Dog, folding deep in Boat — is hip flexor work. And because sitting keeps them shortened for hours, the hip flexors are chronically tight in most modern bodies: lunges and backbends that lengthen them, like Crescent Lunge and Camel, are staples of practice partly for this reason.
In practice
- The deep stretch in the front of the back hip in Crescent Lunge is the psoas finally lengthening.
- Stepping through from Down Dog without a sound takes hip flexor strength, not just flexibility.
- An anteriorly tipping pelvis and a cranky low back often trace back to short, tight hip flexors.
Poses that engage it
Poses that lengthen it
- Mountain Pose
- Stand at Attention
- Warrior I
- Warrior II
- Extended Side Angle
- Crescent Lunge
- Runner's Lunge
- Dancer's Pose
- Cobra Pose
- Upward Facing Dog
- Locust Pose
- Bow Pose
- Camel Pose
- Bridge Pose
- Wheel Pose
- Half Pigeon
- Reclined Bound Angle
- Revolved Crescent Lunge
- Corpse Pose
Related terms
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.