By: Bronwyn Ison
Pent up emotions can lead to stress and feelings of ineptitude as individuals. We handle stress differently. We have a choice to approach our stress with negative or positive actions. Naturally, drinking our sorrows away leads to a downward spiral. Handling your stress levels with exercising leads to positivity. How are you dealing with emotions? Consider an emotional cleansing through a positive activity such as Yoga!
Research tells us virtually everyone stores negative energy in our bodies. One common area is the hips and/or pelvic girdle. You may be thinking, what a peculiar place to harbor toxins in our body. Opening the hips will release toxic energy but can also aid in proper alignment, releasing lower back tension, and improve circulation in your legs. The hip ball and socket is the largest joint in the human body. Stephanie Snyder, a Vinyasa Yoga instructor in San Francisco describes our pelvis girdle as our personal human junk drawer. We are storing our junk in our hips. Bringing (prana) life force into the area can aid in releasing junk by practicing hip openers.
If yoga is a new practice for you it is wise to seek a professional. Learning proper form and technique is essential for a beneficial yoga practice. As a Yoga instructor, I highly recommend hip openers regularly. Yoga is oil for the joints. Working into that big ball and socket will enable your entire body to feel free. When our hamstrings are tight it leads to lower back pain hence tight hips. Never push yourself beyond on your limits. You must know when to stop to preclude an injury. Below are a few yoga hip opening tips.
The Runner’s Lung (high or low) ~ Begin with your feet together. Place your right foot behind you coming into a lunge. Be aware that the front knee does not hyper extend over the ankle. Line your second toe with your knee for proper form. Keep your right leg extended behind your or modify and drop the right knee to your mat/floor. Square your foot off with your hands and allow the right hip flexor to extend. Repeat on the other side and/or repeat 2-3 times on each side.
Pigeon Pose ~ bring your right shin forward and down so that your right foot is in front of your left hip and your right shin is nearly parallel to the front edge of your mat. Flex your right foot. Stretch your left thigh back as you draw your left hip forward. Lengthen your belly as you fold over your right leg. If your right hip does not easily reach the floor, place a folded blanket or block under your right sitting bone. Stay for 10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Cow Face Pose ~ Sitting, stack your right knee on top of your left. Your feet should be in approximately the same place on either side. Keep your feet active. Inhale to lift and lengthen you spine. You can stay here or you can fold forward by reaching your arms in front of you and resting your head near your knees. Continue rooting your sitting bones into the earth as you allow the front of your hips to soften into the body. Stay for 5 to 8 breaths. Switch sides.
The above hip openers will be of incredible relief and benefit. To learn more regarding hip openers and more about Yoga, visit Evolve Yoga in La Quinta.
Evolve Yoga
50991 Washington
Ralph’s Shopping Center next door to US Bank
(760) 564-YOGA or (480) 332-1951
