Yoga for Happy Hips

How do you know if your hips are happy? Well, it’s more likely you’ll know if they’re sad!

Pain or discomfort is usually the first sign that your hips are holding on to tension. The first place most people notice the consequences of having tight hips is in their groin area. However, this can also manifest as lower back pain, so it’s not always obvious that tight hips are the culprit.

It’s also been said that this area of the body stores unresolved emotional pain, primarily from our relationships. During times of stress you may notice a more rigid quality to your movement.

As an integrative practice, not only can yoga be used to address the physical tension in your hips - it can help you safely work through emotional trauma that may be stored in the body.

The hip area consists of a ball and socket joint made up of two bones, the femur and the pelvis. The head of the femur bone fits into the hip socket, together forming the hip joint. Our hips are surrounded by ligaments, tendons and muscles, the state of which can greatly affect our ability to mobilize this area.

Our hips can perform six distinct types of movement: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation. If you tend to hold tension in your hips, it’s likely that your range of motion in one or more of these movement types is limited. When designing a yoga practice to lubricate your hips, it’s important to factor in asanas that incorporate all six of these joining movements, especially those in which you find yourself more limited.

Supported runner's lunge

• Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (runner's lunge)
• Utthan Pristhasana (lizard pose)
• Eka Pada Rajakapotasan (pigeon pose)
• Agnistambhasana (double pigeon pose)
• Mandukasana (frog pose)
• Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose)

Working these yoga asanas into your movement repertoire can result in great benefits for your entire physical body. Inviting in a diverse range of movements will help to gradually correct any imbalances and limitations, creating healthier happier hips.

Supported pigeon pose