Hips don't lie

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello everyone! I have been practicing a few different forms of yoga for about two months now, and am learning loads as I practice almost every day and am quite passionate about this new found love. I’ve been doing home practice (broke college student) with DVD’s from Tamal Dodge, Seane Corn, and Gwen Lawrence. Each of them bring great things to my practice and I am starting to find out what I really like and don’t like. Anyway, on the my question.

My hips are absolutely heinous. They are so hard to open and I can feel the tension. During double pigeon pose, I was finally able to let go and open on my right side. The emotion and tears in just “letting go” were amazing, but a little scary. I have been working with my left hip now (frog pose was a great one for me!), but it doesn’t want to break through. It’s not painful necessarily, but so uncomfortable emotionally it makes me feel sick and want to cry again. So I guess what I am trying to get to is:

A. Is this sort of emotion normal when working on blocks?
B. Is there anything else I should be keeping in mind when working on hip openers? Any good poses I may be missing?

Thanks for your help! I’ve enjoyed reading all the responses in the forum and hope to hear from someone!

#2

It’s not simple for me to mix in to the teachings of someone else, let alone three other people’s teaching.

The poses you outline are not a way I would approach hip opening for beginners. However that doesn’t make it “wrong” (and me “right”). I simply find them to be poses requiring hip opening rather than providing it (though some provisioning does occur). BUT this path may be working for you and that is the more important part.

Be gentle with yourself in the exploration and remember, that which is built over decades is not abated in a month.

#3

To answer your question A.

Yes, I hear many people say that alot of emotions are held in the hips. Talking about this feeling of crying and wave of emotions when they are being stretched. Same with " heart opening" postures to make you feel happy. I never experienced either but I would like to.

In my novice opinion, if it doesn’t hurt physically when you stretch, gooooo for it! Whatever whichever it is good to let emotions out in the mat :slight_smile:

#4

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;71464]I simply find them to be poses requiring hip opening rather than providing it. [/QUOTE]

This sentence was a lightbulb moment for me, thank you. Yoga classes often leave me frustrated and wondering how I’m supposed to get better at something I “can’t do.”

BlondeYoga, I am also struggling with tight hips and adductors and have an active thread about that right now in which Gordon suggested a series of hip openings for the beginner. You might find that helpful.

#5

Thanks, everyone, for your input. :slight_smile: