Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fit Yoga
When I lead my yoga classes through a sequence of hip openers, there’s bound to be a few grunts and moans; looks of fear creep up onto some of my students’ faces. Those of us who run, bike, play sports and even sit at desks all day can find hip openers to be very intense — and sometimes, very scary — but it’s safe to say that all of us could benefit from them. Hip openers are a really great way to release and practicing “letting go.”
The hips are the foundation of our lower bodies. Our hips connect our pelvis to our leg bones and support the spine, and when we walk, run, or do any kind of movement with our legs, our hips keep the pelvis balanced. If we do not dedicate time to opening up our hips, we are in store for future pain and suffering: tight hips contribute to back pain and tight hamstrings. When we do hip openers, we increase the range of motion in our femur bones in our hip sockets, we lengthen our hip flexors, and this also helps us with back bends and seated postures in our yoga practice.
Continue reading Open Your Hips for Better Yoga and a Better Life