Once again I am feeling remiss about responding to comments so a big big thank you to everyone who has followed me or found my new website and another big thank you for all your lovely comments about my blogoversary and our anniversary. All so much appreciated!
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So how are you all doing with your Spring into Yoga Challenge? What postures have you been working on? What have you discovered?
I have been working on Baddha Konasana and Janu Sirsasana, both of which are hip openers. I have tight hips (you can read more about my right hip here) and have always found these two postures particularly hard and often find myself skipping them during home practice.
But what we don’t want is often what we need so, with a little bit of love and a big dollop of Ahimsa, I have been trying to do one, if not both, every time I practice.
What have I noticed? That just because I have stiff hips doesn’t mean that I cannot get a feeling of deep release if I allow myself to breath and let go in these poses. That often I find myself holding on tight in both these poses, gripping, breathing like a rabbit, impatient for the posture to end. That to release allows me to go deeper into a posture than I thought I could. That neither posture feels as bad as my fear of it does. And that afterwards I feel so much looser, so much calmer, as though I have released emotional tension as well as physical. Clearly I hold tension, fear and emotion in my pelvis.
So I will keep practicing, keep reaching and continue to find the balance between strain and ease; between contentment and achievement.
I leave you dear readers with a 20 minute hip opening practice – I hope you enjoy. Any questions do drop me a line 
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Hip Opening Sequence
Begin in Supta Baddha Konasana until you start to feel the hips release.
Come into Happy Baby Pose for a few breaths and then rock yourself up to sitting cross legged. Take a forward bend from here and then change the cross of the legs and repeat.
Come to all fours and take a few cat/dog stretches – inhaling upward cat, exhaling downward dog.
Hold your final downward dog for a few breaths and then step the feet between the hands into Uttanasana.
Tadasana
Step left leg back and come to Trikonasana on the right.
Step back to Tadasana
Step right leg back and come to Trikonasana on the left.
Step back to Tadasana
Step left leg back and come into Reverse Trikonasana on the right
Tadasana
Step right leg back and come to Reverse Trikonasana on the left.
Step back to Tadasana
Inhale, stretch up Exhale release into Uttanasana
Jump or step back to Downward Dog
Bring right leg forward into Eka Pada Rajakapotasana – hold this for at least 10-20 breaths to allow the hip to release. Then step back into downward dog and repeat with the left leg. Notice if you feel any differences between one side and the other.
Child’s pose
Janu Sirsasana – again holding for 10-20 breaths on each side to really allow those hips to release and to notice differences between the two sides.
Paschiomottanasana
Finish with a few moments in Supta Baddha Konasana before coming into Savasana. Allow the breath to fill the pelvic cavity and hips. Feel warmth and release there.
