As well as relieving pain and discomfort in other areas of the body, gaining more supple hips through regular yoga practice can give you a more agile gait and improve circulation in your legs — things very good for the aging process! The majority of us sit for most of our day, which shortens the hip flexors at the front of the hip psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius , tightens the hip rotators piriformis, obturator internus, gamellus, to name a few and weakens our glute muscles. Now, the lower back, or the lumbar spine, is not designed for a lot of activity.
So having tight hips and a weak posterior chain increases the load and overuse of the spine, which spells very bad news for our ability to pick up things without sustaining injury — a newborn baby can easily cause an injury, let alone heavy weights in the gym.
It was the psoas that propelled our ancestors into a full-on run, or helped them curl into a little ball, when they were being chased by tigers. As such, when we are startled or stressed, the psoas contracts.
The problem with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles is that our psoas muscles are constantly contracted. We eat meals in a seated position, most of us work in a seated position, we drive in a seated position, we watch TV in a seated position, and many of us sleep in the fetal position.
Think of how the psoas muscles connect to the legs. Because they connect the spine in the back of the body to the legs at the front of the body, if they are tight, it only makes sense that the lower back would be pulled forward, and out of alignment. This is why tight hips increase the load on the spine and crank it into overdrive. When the hips are open, with more range of motion, this allows for better circulation and more support for the muscles of the back and the spine. In other words, lengthen the psoas muscles to help alleviate back pain.
Maybe, you already feel a stretch in the hip flexor here. Place the back knee down and draw the legs toward each other. Try to bring the pelvis in one line by pushing the back hip forward. Engage the core muscles and lift the chest to stretch the spine. Maintain this engagement while trying to deepen the front-leg lunge. Since the back knee is on the ground, the front knee can move further forward over the toes. Place the palms on the inside of the front foot.
If available to you, you can even place forearms on the ground. However, the focus should be on maintaining the integrity of the pelvis by hugging both legs in. Avoid collapsing in the hips. Start in a Warrior stance with one foot in front, toes facing forward, and the other foot back parallel to the short edge of the mat. The front heel is in line with the arch of the back foot. Lift the arches of both feet and squeeze feet and shins in toward the midline.
Lift the sitting bones up with the inner thighs. If you can, clasp the hands behind your back for a nice shoulder stretch. Lie on your back and bend both knees so that the feet are on the mat. Bring one leg across, placing the ankle onto the thigh of the other leg. Be very mindful of the action of the foot that is on the thigh. The sole of the foot should be perpendicular to the earth. Draw the outer side of the pinky toe toward the outer knee. At the same time, push the mound of the big toe forward.
This is important because, if the foot is not engaged, there will be too much pull on the knee. Activating the foot also intensifies the hip-opening effect of this yoga pose. Now lift the other foot off the floor and wrap the hands around the back of the thigh. Keep this foot also very active by flexing it. Draw the knee toward the chest. At the same time, you can use your elbow to press the other knee away from you. This is a great stretch for the outer hip.
If you want to go a bit further, place the lifted foot back onto the floor. Take the other foot into the hands while keeping it flexed and active. Bend the elbows outward and lift the head. Now draw the chin toward the shin and vice versa.
If you want to take it even further, you can stretch the other leg out in front. For this pose, you have the option of practicing it on your yoga mat in the middle of the room or, if you feel unstable, position yourself near a wall for support. Like in the supine version of this hip-opening yoga pose , place one foot on top of the other thigh, keeping the foot flexed and active.
The foot should be perpendicular to the floor and the mound of the big toe pushes forward. Start bending the standing leg by sending the inner thighs and groins back. Create a lumbar curve to open the pelvic floor. Push the shinbone of the standing leg into the foot of the lifted leg to bring the knee closer to the earth. This allows you to also draw the thoracic spine toward the wall.
Stand facing the long side of the yoga mat and step the feet apart. Keep the knees bent in the beginning. Squeeze the feet toward each other and lift the arches to stay strong and active in the legs. While hugging the shins and feet toward the midline , bring the sitting bones back and apart to open the pelvic floor.
Make sure your lumbar spine is curved. Take the hands on the hips and start leaning forward. Shift the body weight more into the balls of the feet. Start straightening the legs by pushing back and widening the sitting bones. Walk your hands down the shins. Hug the belly button in to stay strong in the core. Only go down as low as you can maintain the curve in the lumbar spine. Eventually, you may be able to place the fingertips or hands on the yoga mat. To stand up, engage the abdominal muscles and send the shoulders back before lifting the upper body.
Sit down on your yoga mat and stretch the legs out to the sides. Bend the knees and let the toes of the feet point upwards. Take the hands back behind you and lift your hips up. This will safeguard both you as a yoga teacher and a yoga student. Ginger is a longtime physical therapist, athletic trainer, and professional yoga therapist. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the founder and executive director of Professional Yoga Therapy Institute, an international post-graduate program for licensed medical professionals, which celebrates its 16th anniversary in Ginger serves as a consultant to, and adjunct faculty for, medical schools in the US and Canada who use her yoga curriculum and methodology.
Ginger maintains an international teaching and lecture schedule. Ginger is a mother of three, which drives her advocacy work for partnership-based education, integrated medical care, and egalitarian economics. Ginger Garner Updated:. Featured Courses. While millions of Americans suffer from pain in the low back and pelvis, many back and hip issues are actually the result of sacroiliac instability SI , i.
Alarmingly, yoga practitioners appear to Read more. Hip openers are among the most satisfying and powerful yoga poses. They hold a tremendous potential for transformation; they can help us release deep-seated tension and trauma of the past, which many of us hold locked in the hip area.
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