Yoga for Stess & Anxiety Relief (10 mins)
This a smooth flow to open your hips and calm your body and mind. Relax, breath, and dive into the present moment.
Lately I’ve had a couple of emotional breakdowns. Love life, school, work, family, etc. Its really been a lot of pressure. And i noticed during my practice that when I’m feeling depressed my hips are tighter and harder to open. So i decided to do some research on the matter.
The hips are home to the pelvic bone, which acts as a basin for storing old emotions. Any emotion can be stored in the hips, but old worries retained from past experience are the most common burdens. However, exercises that open the hips can lead to a emotional breakthrough that relieves some of the burden
Unexpressed feelings are stored inside the body, causing obstruction in the circulation of energy, blood and fluids and, in turn, creates a sensation of pain. Anger is an example of one commonly unexpressed emotion that becomes filed away in the hips. Anger and resentment are not socially acceptable emotions in many western cultures, so instead of sharing or channeling their anger, people may push the feeling inside. When this repressed emotion becomes stored in the hips it may cause physical pain or a feeling of tightness. However, finding a method of releasing anger, such as yoga, will bring relief to those holding onto these feelings.
Setting expectations for yourself is a natural, healthy part of living, but sometimes these expectations can take control of your life. For example, you can store disappointment over unfulfilled expectations in your hips, as well as stress over impossible goals. These disappointments can potentially lead to feelings of self-doubt. The gallbladder meridian used in acupuncture travels along the sides of the body, through the hip; feelings of doubt can weaken this meridian. Self-doubt often serves as a diagnostic tool for gallbladder meridian imbalances.
Unexpressed sadness can also enter the hips. A person carrying this emotional burden may not even be aware of the sadness and only feel a climax of emotion when stretching or releasing the hips. People collect sadness when they do not allow themselves to grieve traumatic events such as losing.
The hips are home to the second chakra, or splenic chakra, one of seven that run the length of the torso to the top of the head. The second chakra’s energy is associated with sexuality and creative life force. When the energy of this chakra becomes blocked, a person may experience issues with intimacy, sex or creative blockage.
~Favorite Pose of the Day~
Bound ankle pose, or Baddha Konasana, is a stretch you feel in the inner thighs and opens up those hips. When lean forward or lie down while in bound ankle pose, something really amazing happens within the self. You feel more relaxed and length in your thigh muscles. I like part of my savasana in bound ankle pose just because of how good it feels.
How To: Hanumanasana / Split Pose / Monkey Pose
This is an awesome how to. My hips aren’t anywhere near as open as yours but this will hopefully get them there :D
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