| How often do you think about your hips? Maybe you remember them while sitting on the floor in half-lotus posture or perhaps after riding a horse for the first time. You may not realize that because of the hips’ central positioning in the body, their tightness can contribute to lower back pain as well as leg inflexibility. Stiffness in the tendons and ligaments around the hips can also affect the position of the pelvis, therefore affecting your body balance and the amount of stress on your back and knees. Do not be surprised if the hip openers presented in this article also help you touch your toes, alleviate back pain and correct your posture.
The hips are complex areas that require a variety of movement in order to maintain flexibility. Consider the shoulder, which is a ball and socket joint like the hip joint. We move our shoulders to a far greater degree throughout the day, as we reach up, pull down and extend. Conversely, our hip joints tend to remain still as we sit at our desks, stand upright or lie down. Even walking does little to utilize the rotating joint to its fullest potential. Unless you are a frequent salsa dancer, I would guess that you have some stiffness in your hips.
When you consider the tightness of your hip joints, it is important to determine exactly where you are stiff. From an Oriental Medicine perspective, we have six meridian channels that run through the hip joints. Energy easily becomes blocked in the joints.
Pain and tension result from blockage in the channels due to stress, emotions, injury and inactivity. Specific emotions can even become blocked in the different channels. For example, the kidneys and bladder tend to hold fear; the stomach and spleen, over-thinking; and the liver and gallbladder, anger.
The Liver Meridian runs up the inside of your leg, through the femoral artery. The Gallbladder Meridian runs down the outside of the leg, the Bladder Meridian runs up the back of the leg, the Stomach Meridian runs down the front of the leg, the Spleen Meridian runs up the front of the leg, and the Kidney Meridian runs up the leg between the Spleen Meridian and the Bladder Meridian. It is important to check your body and determine exactly where you feel tension or pain so that you can awaken and begin to heal your body.
Warm-up your body before doing these stretches. Try walking; bouncing your knees up and down while standing in place; swinging your legs forward, back and side-to-side; or tapping your whole body with your palms. Never push yourself to stretch too deeply, especially when just starting out. Use your breath to help you focus more deeply on your body so that you can determine at what point you should pause and hold the stretch.
Self-check
Do these four simple stretches before you begin to determine which sides of your hip joints have the most stiffness and tension. You can also find out which meridian is most blocked. For example, if there is stiffness in the backside of the hips, the Bladder Meridian is likely experiencing blockage.
Front
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your hands on your hips, bend back slightly while pushing your hips forward. If you feel pain in your lower back, bend your knees while you hold the posture. Feel your stomach, intestines and the front of your hips and legs.
Back
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your hands on your hips, slowly bend forward, keeping your spine and legs straight. Feel the lower back, buttocks and legs (the backside of your hip joints). How do you feel? Hold it here for one minute, long enough to really feel your body and assess your level of stiffness.
Outside
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your hands on your hips, bend your side to the right, pushing your hips to the left. Feel your sides and the outside of your hip and leg. Repeat on the other side.
Inside
Stand with your legs more than shoulder-width apart and open your toes out to the sides. Slowly lower your hips down (try to make a 90-degree angle with your knees, but respect the limitations of your body). You may rest your hands on your knees, but keep your shoulders relaxed and your spine straight. Feel the inside of your hips and legs. See how far down you can go. Can you make 90-degree angles with your knees? This self-check is also an excellent lower body strengthener.
Now you have taken stock of the most important thing—the present condition of your body. Choose which stretches would be best for you based upon your self-check or try them all!
How to stretch effectively
Follow these simple guidelines while stretching and you will realize exactly where you are stiff and be able to release the tension from your body more quickly.
Inhale and hold your breath as you begin your stretch.
Stop when you feel tension (before you feel pain).
Hold that posture and exhale.
Bring your attention to your body. As you inhale find your tension points, and as you exhale release the tension.
Let your body relax as you exhale.
Return to the orginal position after 15-30 seconds and repeat.
Hold for at least one minute the second time, again breathing and feeling your body.
Do not forget to stretch both sides of your body, and if you find that one side is stiffer than the other, you may stretch that side more!
After each exercise, relax your muscles and joints by shaking your legs or walking around the room.
BASIC ROTATION
Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips or extended out to the sides. Slowly rotate your hip joint by raising your leg and making a circle 10 times in each direction. Repeat on the other side.
This exercise is also great for improving balance. If you have some difficulty balancing, try to focus on your lower abdomen (energy center) and look at a fixed point on the floor in front of you. If that does not help, you may hold onto a chair or the wall with the opposite hand (but keep practicing without the support to improve your balance). You can also do this exercise in a sitting posture with the upper body relaxed back on the arms or in a lying posture with the legs raised.
FRONT
(Opens the Spleen and Liver Meridians)
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with your right foot and bend your right knee 90 degrees. Keep your left leg straight. Place your right hand on your right knee and your left hand on the floor beside your right foot. Keep your chest and head up and hold this stretch. Do not let your right knee pass your toe. Hold the stretch for one minute, feeling the front of your thigh (hip flexor). Then, repeat on the left side.
If this stretch feels painful or difficult, keep your upper body erect with both hands on your thighs.
BACK
(Opens the Kidney and Bladder Meridians)
Sit down next to a wall with your right hip touching it and your legs extended next to the wall. Swing your legs up to the right so that they extend straight up. Be sure to scoot your buttocks as close to the wall as possible. Straighten your legs and hold them here for a few minutes. Just relax and breathe. If you stand on your feet all day or are a frequent jogger, this posture is great for flushing the lactic acids out of your muscles and improving circulation.
Next, slowly open your legs, keeping your knees straight. Hold this posture for five minutes and feel your hips, feel gravity pulling your legs down and opening your hip joints. Let your legs gradually open more and more.
This exercise can also be done in a sitting posture by bending forward with your legs open, but it is recommended to start against the wall as it is easier to keep your legs straight and there is much less strain on the lower back.
OUTSIDE
(Opens the Gall Bladder and Stomach Meridians)
1. Sit with your legs extended in front of you, and bend your right knee back. Try to keep your upper body straight with your chest open and spine straight and knees touching the floor. First, inhale, and stretch forward towards your toes. Hold this stretch for at least one minute. Relax your shoulders and breathe. Return to the original position.
Next, place your hands behind you and slowly lower your upper body down. Do not push too much. Stop lowering yourself down when you feel your knee begin to come off the ground. Hold that posture for at least one minute while gently pressing your knee towards the floor. Return and repeat on the other side.
2. Begin by getting into an “all fours” position on your hands and knees on the floor. Bring your left foot forward in front of your right knee, making a 90-degree angle and opening up the left hip joint. Now, gently extend your right leg straight back. Sit up with your spine straight, and hold this position with your chest open for one minute. Do not let your chin drop; you should gaze horizontally across the room. You may balance yourself on the floor using your fingertips.
Now, gently lower your upper body down to the floor for a deeper stretch. Slide your arms forward while bending your elbows. Let your head rest on your forearms. Hold for two minutes while breathing comfortably. Return and repeat on the other side.
INSIDE
(Opens the Spleen and Kidney Meridians)
Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your toes together, keeping them on the floor. Now open your knees as much as you can, feeling the insides of your legs and hips. Hold it here for one minute and breathe. Slowly and gently push your hips forward and lower them towards the floor. This is a very powerful stretch, so take your time. Hold for at least one minute and repeat. In between repetitions, bring your hips back towards your heels and relax.
Finally, beginning in the same posture, open your toes and extend your legs out to the sides before lowering your hips. Lower yourself fully onto the floor. Stretch deeply and hold your position.
This exercise also strengthens the arms and shoulders.
Charlotte Connors is a Dahn instructor and the chief BR trainer at the BR Clinic in Sedona, Arizona, USA .
Published in body & brain Winter 2005 issue.
Let’s do hip joint exercises and have a better circulation!
Dahnyoga practice(founded by Ilchi Lee) helps open up hipjoints. |
Dahn Yoga Benefits
