Nourishing Hips
Yoga teacher and Physical Therapist Judith Hanson Lasater says “the pelvis is everything.” For sure, the pelvis is a great many things: the cradle of life, the origin place of the spine, the center of our locomotion through which movement above and below transfers, a structure that protects important organs and their life sustaining functions. The yang layers of the pelvis are the muscles that cross our hip joints and contract to move us around in time and space. The yin layers of the pelvis are the deeper connective tissue layers that hold us together and facilitate the transference of movement through the body: tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, fascia. In active styles of yoga, we intentionally engage muscles to the support and protect deeper joint structures. In yin, we find ways to nest the body with support outside the body (ground, pillows, blankets, etc.). We invite muscle layers to rest, once they’ve done the work required to move us into position. An unwinding through musculature as well as deeper structures of the body results, stimulating processes that reform and rehydrate deep, dense connective tissue layers to promote natural range of motion and ease in movement.
Practice Tips: This practice is a deep exploration of the structures of the hips, especially targeting the layers the cross the outer and inner sides of the pelvis. Spend time using your props to create a foundation of support for your body to rest into each shape. There may be mild to moderate sensation, but we aren’t looking for the most intense sensations of our lifetime here, nor are we lingering where there is physical pain or in any place our body asks us not to be. In yin, we discern where there’s invitation from inside the body to go and be. Once settled, invite a yin quality like acceptance, yielding, or receiving. You can anchor your attention in your body and notice the sensations that arise. As you pay attention to the sensations, consider there’s nothing you need to fix or resolve. Stay the length of time your body welcomes you to stay in each shape.
Supine Butterfly. Nest with support for your hips, spine, neck. This is a dreamy way to offer a counter-pose to all the time you’ve spent slouching.
Butterfly. Blanket rolls under either side of the pelvis offers wonderful support for deeper release through the outer hips. Experiment with how much of your body’s weight pours forward and discern what feels truly welcome through the structures of your hips.
Revolved deer. This shape holds one half of the pelvis with a hip in external rotation and the other half with a hip in internal rotation. The first three images below offer some landing points you could explore as you transition from a seated squat into revolved deer (fourth image). Pay close attention to the intimate relationship between your pelvis and spine.
1) From butterfly, use your arms to support your upper body as you bring your feet apart to line up with your hips and knees, as if you were in a seated goddess squat. From that place you can windshield wiper your legs side to side, moving through internal and external rotation of your hips.
2) One knee turns in and down as the other turns out. Rotate your body toward the side of your pelvis turning open.
3) Notice the twist emerging from inside your pelvis at your spine’s origin place. Place your hands on either side of your bolster and further rotate your spine so you are now facing the opposite way as when you were in the seated squat.
4) You can stay upright or use your arms to gradually come to rest your body down over the support of the bolster.
5) Before turning back through the squat and switching sides, turn about halfway back (similar to second slide) and offer a contrasting side bend to your upper body.
Shoelace. Marinate in your outer hips as you explore rotation, lateral flexion, and flexion of your spine. If your hips or knees don’t tolerate this shape, you can explore similar forms from a simple cross-legged seated posture or keep your bottom leg extended.
Revolved 1/2 dragonfly. A return to the inner hips and inner thigh line. Use your props to find that just right amount of support between your upper and lower body.
Dragonfly. Now extend out through both of your legs and soften your upper body into support. If dragonfly is too much, you could return to seated or supine butterfly.
Pantoon. This practice has held us in a great deal of hip flexion (folding forward). Pantoon offers a contrasting opening across the front of the hips. Linger here or in a supported bridge prior to final savasana.