Seven Strategies to Loosen Tight Hips
As far as I know, it’s entirely accidental that this collection of strategies for gaining greater range of movement in your hips turns out to be seven in number. I didn’t plan to use the most potent magical number after three, or to subtly allude to the seven heavenly virtues, the seven deadly sins, the […]
Five-Minute Yoga Challenge: roll on the floor to free your hips
In this week’s Tuesday 7:30 class, Jean told me that she’s making progress on her tight hips. “This week I actually thought about doing some hip openers,” she said. “Before, I wasn’t even thinking about it.” Ah, tight hips. If you have them, then every hip opening pose, no matter how moderate, hurts from the […]
Take the five-minute Malasana challenge
I’m a big fan of Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project blog, and her book, The Happiness Project. She writes beautifully and does a lot of interesting research. (My latest find, thanks to Gretchen, was a link to Paul Bloom’s article First Person Plural in the November 2008 Atlantic Monthly, a fascinating look at our multiple selves.) […]
Television yoga for tight front thighs
One of the most fruitful areas for a new yoga practitioner to explore is something I call television yoga. It’s not a formal practice. You don’t have to put on special clothes, roll out a mat or light a candle. And if you watch TV, talk on the phone, or sit and listen to music, […]
Crank Your Thighs in Bound Angle Pose To Protect Your Knees
Is it extreme to bind your upper thighs like a very tightly wrapped sausage and then crank them into the deepest external rotation you can manage? Yes, but it’s worth it. Hip joints are strong and well protected. Knees are much more vulnerable. When you increase your ability to externally rotate your thighs, your hips […]