I have an obsession with hips – well with the whole pelvis and sacro-iliac joint in general really. It’s the most amazing structure, supporting the entire weight of the upper body, the spine and many of the organs. It also contains the psoas (every yoga teacher’s favourite muscle) and the iliacus muscles which are the two muscles that move and support the femur (thighbone) so are responsible for all that walking, standing, running and cycling we do.
Then there’s the sacrum itself – a collection of five fused vertebrae joining the lumbar spine to the tail bone and the back to the pelvis. So strong and powerful is this bone that it would not burn at all on the funeral pyres of our ancestors and it was thought to be the most sacred part of the body, maybe even housing the soul – it’s name is derived from the Latin sacer (sacred) directly translated from the Greek hieron.
It needs to be that strong. It’s holding us together.
Is it any wonder so many of us have tight hips and sore lower backs?
From a more subtle perspective the pelvic girdle is a part of the body in which we can hold a huge amount of emotion – there is a lot of connective tissue in there it is thought by many bodyworkers (myself included) that connective tissue forms a web of forgotten memory and repressed emotion. It is also the seat of Swadhisthana or Sacral Chakra – the energy centre associated with relationships, pleasure, sexuality and basic emotional needs.
Last Thursday I taught a hip opening class. During the course of the lesson nearly every student in there experienced some form of released emotion – anger, frustration, exhaustion, fear, a fit of the giggles. It all came up as we slowly worked into the hips to release completely into October’s asana of the month – Trikonasana (see here and here).
Hip openers are an essential part of our practices. We spend too much time sitting, standing, walking, cycling without stretching properly. But work carefully with them, force nothing, be aware of the power deep muscle release has on your body both physically and emotionally and be prepared for great things!
How do hip openers make you feel?
Hip openers make me feel… frustrated is the word, I think. And incapable. It’s probably the most tight, stuck area of my body. Standing ones aren’t that bad, but Upavistha Konansana is probably the most challenging of all and any poses for me, in a “why can’t my body do this?!” way and on a mental level.
Interesting what you say about the Sacral Chakra, I’ve never made the connection before…
I hate hip openers! I struggle with them more than anything else, but unlike the other poses that I find more difficult, I feel there is no scope for improvement here – my hips are stuck!
So this post was really interesting to read – maybe I need to be a bit more considerate when cursing my stuck hips in future!
II just attended a yoga class last night that focused on hip openers. I used to feel so much resistance, but in the past couple of months, I’ve been working on releasing the tension in my hips, and now I’ve grown to love hip opening poses like Trikonasana, Reverse Warrior, and Pigeon. I definitely believe that the hips store emotion…I always feel a sort of tension/frustration while I’m doing the pose, but once the hips are open and loose, it’s the most amazing feeling of calm relaxation.
Open. So open after a hip class. Open to any experience and any emotion. It is a powerful feeling for me.
I did a yin hip class on Sunday afternoon and it was AHmazing. It was so fun to see my students come in all skeptical, like “what are we doing here on a Sunday” and leave total noodles and blissed out.
I *heart* this yoga!
Thanks for the great post. I am hip obsessed, too.
I actually attended Rachel’s hip opening class on Thursday night. I must say it was all a bit bizarre. I’m not an overly emotional person but felt a real release of fear straight after class. A masseur told me that I store alot of stress in my hips so I think there’s a connection there.
Loving your class as always Rachel!
I love hip openers. I think this is because I naturally have ridiculously open hips, so those types of poses are easy for me. Still, I love exploring them and finding ways to get a really good stretch, even if I have to improvise a bit!
I think my hips are uneven because of my scoliosis. That’s normal, right? Sometimes in Down Dog I look up at myself in the mirror and my left hip (well, from my perspective it looks like my butt) is noticeably higher than the right. Any advice, fellow crooked-spined yogini?
I love hips and hip-opening. I encourage my students to view hip openers as a learning experience – the types of emotions we experience in these poses teach us a lot about ourselves and how we respond emotionally to difficult situations in our lives. Of course, they usually just look like they want me to shut up. I sometimes follow a hip opener with a modified Lions’ breath – sticking your tongue out at the teacher!
@Shannon – I have scoliosis as well and yes, it makes my hips slightly uneven. It’s very noticeable in symmetrical poses like downward facing dog and plough. You can work on finding a more even stance in the pose – often this means adjusting yourself so that you feel crooked, but you are actually straight! Or if you work with a teacher, ask the teacher to give you adjustments that help bring your hips in line.
thank you for this. it inspired to do a refresher on that part of our bodies. i currently have three tabs open re: human anatomy. i need to take more courses on this…!
I love them, most of my favourite poses are hip openers. I’m the most flexible there and find them very easy and meditative. And they do help release emotions, you’re spot on there
@ Shannon – my scoliosis does show in my hips too but more in assymetrical poses like Janu Sirsasana where on the left I can do it beautifully and on the right I look like a 90-year-old. This means I tend to demonstrate on one side in class and thus the difference gets worse!
I agree with La Gitane about adjustments in symmetrical poses. With assymmetrical ones I think we have to just be happy with the difference….
I love, love, love hip openers. And psoas release! We should collect a series of sequences others use to warm up and open up the hips. I’d love to have a reference of sequences to fall back on when I want to work on hip opening on my own!