Hips

People seem to think that Yoga is all about flexibility but that is not entirely true. Yoga is more about getting the best movement out of your joints without injury or strain. In order to do this you need to have strength. Muscles can either lengthen or shorten. Every time one muscle lengthens another one shortens to bring a smooth movement. This requires more than just taking a joint as far as it can go. The muscles that are shortening (contracting) need to stay stable. They provide support to the joint to prevent injury. “Flexibility” by itself is not always good.

This week I am going to focus on the hips. For the lower part of the body, this is the joint that gives you the movement.  I have already talked about the knee and foot. Neither of these joints really rotate. The knee and ankle support weight but it is the muscles of the hip and the back that allow you to walk and move. Hip joint can move the leg forward, back, out toward the side, in toward the center of the body, rotate in and out.

If you have ever tried to move something that was not strong and stable you know it is more challenging.  That is why the preparation for a yoga position includes strengthening practices. Strengthening the hips requires thigh, back, abdominal and pelvic strength. It sounds like a lot to focus on but, as I said earlier, muscles work together. You can not get the muscles of the legs to strengthen without engaging the back and abdomen. The muscles of the back and legs are also the muscles that stabilize the pelvis.  When you move the hip joint with the muscles of the legs, the pelvis and back stay stable and the hip joint stays firm. The movement of the joint is more defined. Another thing happens here, the lower back stays stable (core strength). 

Unfortunately the focus seems to be deeper, harder, and further.  Think about the reason you are doing these movements. Is your goal to bring the joint into its most comfortable and strongest movement it can? If so, why?  To keep the joint healthy, the back needs to be strong. Now the question is can you keep the ego out of it and focus on your best movement. 

There are many ways to stabilize your hips during your regular day. Aligning your spine keeps your upper body balanced over the hips and feet. When the weight of your body goes more to one side or the other, forward on the balls of your feet or back toward the heel. All these seemingly small changes in the body indicate that you are not fully balanced.  Do you need to bring your hip as far as it can possibly go? If you do, why? What is the reason you need to go so deep? How much of this is ego as opposed to healthy movement? 

Weight can have implications for your back, hip, pelvis and knees. Stabilize the hips and spine. Engage the abdominal muscles and feel the back supported in a stronger position. Breaking things up into body parts and strengthening each area has some value. But, the truth is that all joints and muscles work together and you really can’t separate any one body part on its own.

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