How to Warm Up for Wild Thing: Prep Poses to Open Your Body
Wild Thing is an uplifting asana, both physically and emotionally. Like its cousin the Flip Dog, this high-energy pose opens up your whole body in a heart-forward backbend — but it gets a little zest from a bent back leg, giving your hips some extra room to play.
Maybe you’re trying Wild Thing for the first time, or maybe you’re trying to deepen your practice. Either way, you’ll want to prepare with asanas that stretch your back, shoulders, hips, and hamstrings, and strengthen your legs, arms, shoulders, and core.
Not quite ready for Wild Thing? Modified Wild Thing will give you that same open, free feeling without the full flip.
Prep Poses for Wild Thing
Ragdoll and Forward Fold
Upward-Facing Dog
Seal
Bridge
Pyramid
Side Plank and variations
Need more Wild Thing prep poses? Try Alo Moves instructor Kayla Nielsen’s short Drills for Wild Thing class.
Getting into Wild Thing from Downward Facing Dog
From Downward Facing Dog, enter Three-Legged Dog by lifting your left leg — then bend that leg and open your left hip for Scorpion Dog.
Shift your weight to your right arm and the outer edge of your right foot.
Lift your chest and open up into a backbend, moving your shoulders away from your ears.
Bring the ball of your left foot to the mat behind you.
Press into both your feet to lift your hips toward the sky.
Extend your left arm and let your head fall back.
Slowly return to Down Dog and repeat on the other side.
Getting into Wild Thing from
Side Plank
From Plank, move into Side Plank facing the left (with your right hand on the ground).
Without losing the lift in your hips, bend your left leg and bring the ball of your left foot to your mat behind you.
Press into both your feet to lift your hips toward the sky.
Extend your left arm and let your head fall back.
Slowly come back into Plank and repeat on the other side.
Need to bring more Wild Thing into your life? Try Kayla Nielsen’s full Wild Thing Flow with a 14-day free trial to Alo Moves.