The hips; the body’s own junk draw, a place we chuck emotions into when we don’t know where else to put them or how to deal with them at that time. We mix them in with everything else, hoping that they will disappear before we have to deal with them.
We hold a lot of tension in our hips. When we are threatened or experience something that brings us fear we usually curl up into a fetal position, or if we are sat down we lean over our knees, whatever the action, when we curl our body the movement comes from the hip. The muscles clench and never usually release. This not only causes muscular tension, but it traps whatever emotion we are experiencing in there too, whether that be anxiety, fear, sadness or any kind of trauma. We can experience positive, happy trauma such as giving birth.
These traumas stay with us, like a blocked ball of energy that hasn’t been resolved, it stays in the nervous system where it can cause many problems with us on in our physical and emotional bodies.
If we don’t deal with these emotions at the time, we will definitely experience it by having tightness in the hips which may present itself as pain in the lower back, shoulder or neck.
Stretching the hips will give you a release, it moves the ‘trapped’ emotion, allowing you to deal with what’s unresolved.
To get through the old emotions, you have to dig back in there and find them. A great way to do thisis through opening and stretching the hips. Be warned, its not uncommon to be overwhelmed with tears when postures are held long enough. Really relax into the postures as much as possible and breathe.
1. Eka Pada Rajakopatasana (one-legged pigeon pose)
2. Mandukasana (Frog pose)
3. Balasana (childs pose)
4. Anjaneyasana (A low runner’s lunge)
5. Malasana (squat pose)
6. Anjaneyasana (low lunge)
7. Gomukhasana (Cow face pose)
8. Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard pose)