A Moment of Calm, Episode Nine: Hip Openers

You work hard, you play hard. We have definitely covered this. Green tea and salads, then tacos and margaritas. The more balance we find and create in our lives, the more we support ourselves. The more we feel balanced and supported, the more we have to offer the people in our lives (throwback to you can’t pour from an empty cup).

So, we will continue filling your proverbial cup this week with hip openers. Some of you may have heard me refer to your hips as “the junk drawers of your body”.

If you are someone who has been to a fair amount of yoga classes, maybe you have witnessed or actually experienced what I am about to describe: you worked your butt off in class, it’s finally time to begin winding down and release, you’re in some type of hip opener, and someone starts crying. Maybe you are the one who is fighting back tears. All I know is that this has happened to me, and it has definitely happened to me more than once. The crazy thing about this scenario is that the person crying quite possibly has no idea WHY she is crying in the first place . . . #release.

Some experts believe that we hold grief, sadness, and trauma in our hips. These emotions, in a sense, get stuck there unless we are able to process and work through them and let them go. So, the pelvis is a pretty powerful area that we work to release physically and emotionally. When your hips are tight or you don’t take them through their full range of motion, this can put unnecessary load and pressure on your spine which, in turn, can cause back pain (see, everything is connected). Freeing up these areas physically also allows room for more emotional freedom and creativity. Think of it like cleaning out the cobwebs.

I feel that, especially as a woman, I have had my fair share of situations where I could (or did) burst out in tears. I used to try to hide those tears or hold them back. But I’ve got to tell you, release is a POWERFUL and LIBERATING thing, ladies!! By allowing the release to happen, you are able to take your power back.

I know that in a world of demands and to-do’s, we as a collective group, tend to push things back, maybe not feel all the feels and then in turn, we get stuck. Emotional work is WORK. Sometimes, just by the physical act of opening your hips, you can release the “stuff” you may be holding onto. It may not feel amazing at the time, to be bawling in a room full of people, but you will probably leave feeling like some type of weight has been lifted. That is another reason A Moment of Calm is awesome - - you can release in the comfort of your own home!

Have you ever had one of those days and you are just irritable or frustrated and don’t know why? You probably need a release. Head back over to Week 3 where we worked on sun salutations, then come to this week and do the release/hip openers, and voila! I bet you’ll feel much better. It is generally a good idea to warm up to stretch your hips, but it is absolutely not necessary (you will just create a deeper stretch by warming up a little bit first).

I know this can feel like a lot of information, especially when we dig into the emotional side of things. I promise you the work is worth it. Don’t worry whether or not you’re doing it “right” or not. Any yoga, any moment of calm, is better than none at all.

Just start. You can edit a page, you just can’t edit a blank one.

We are here to support you, so you can find and create ways to better support yourself.

In support of each other, Namaste.

Katie