hip opening Archives - Page 2 of 3

IS LOTUS POSE FOR YOU?

First, how can you answer this question? The answer may be easy, or it may be quite layered. If you have room for exploration, Matt not only offers these Lotus pose variations to try but also reminds you to examine the sensations in your hips, knees, and ankles while practicing. Lotus pose is a deep hip opener, so there is a lot involved. Besides the hips, the state of your knees is one of the biggest considerations when it comes to deciding whether the posture is for you. And as much as you may associate the posture with extensive flexibility and mobility, it also requires stability. Generating stability in your knees, for example, is quite important and may be more accessible than you think. The magic exists in the finer details, so paying attention to your knees and ankles may ultimately provide the answer you’re looking for.

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LOTUS POSE VARIATIONS: IS THERE A SAFER OPTION?

KNEES AND ANKLES

Now, your body can change at any time. A definitive answer for the safest option for Lotus Pose doesn’t really exist, but it’s through the exploration of these Lotus pose variations that you can always find the answer you need at any stage of your yoga practice.

The angle of your knees is a great point of focus. The 2 variations Matt offers in today’s video are Lotus on Your Back and Lotus Seated Upright. In either variation, the angle of your knees is a factor in determining whether or not you will find the full posture. The more “closed” you are at the knee joint, the more stable your knees, which minimizes the chances of injury. Once you are in Lotus, a respectable amount of eversion of the ankles is imperative to reduce the pressure that may build from inversion—which is also required.

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THE HIP JOINT

This deep hip opener requires great attention to detail and a tremendous amount of preparation. Part and parcel of this preparation are patience and focus. From an anatomical point of view, you may tend to focus on the external rotators of the hip. This is not wrong, because the shape of the posture requires that they perform efficiently to open the hip. What is also vital, however, is preparing in a way that honors the integrity of the hip as a whole. If you’ve practiced with Matt before, you’ll be familiar with what he calls “the 4 quadrants of the hips.” To delve into this concept, I highly recommend the Hips & Hamstrings immersion. Loosely defined, the 4 quadrants include the adductors, abductors, hamstrings, and hip flexors & quadriceps. Activating these muscle groups helps to exhaust the muscular system until they are ready to stretch, lengthen, and open.

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LOTUS ON YOUR BACK VS. LOTUS SEATED UPRIGHT

Matt offers Lotus on Your Back as the safer option when comparing it directly to Lotus Seated Upright. In the video, Matt talks about the risk of straining the knees in the upright variation. Sometimes the use of props may minimize this risk, but again, it’s about exploring what works for you. There may be less risk on your back. In the video, Matt’s entry to Lotus on his back shows that in this variation, you have more time and room to consider the sensations in your knees, particularly the second leg. The floor under your legs is out of the equation, so you can roll to the side, and you can play with how much you press the first knee away from your body to see if it is accessible for you to place the second leg on top. This doesn’t mean that the variation is easy, but it does offer more room to play.

NAVIGATING THIS DEEP HIP OPENER

Attention to your body is paramount in this sophisticated posture. In both Lotus Pose variations, the hips are flexing and abducting while in external rotation, the knees are in flexion, and the feet are in plantar flexion. Add to this the key action of some eversion of the ankles, and the pose can be quite complicated to navigate.

Jack’s pursuit of the posture in the Three’s Company episode is hysterical, but definitely not the model to follow. Forcing ourselves into postures can only lead to unwanted outcomes like injuries. In the full class, Matt reminds us about what yoga truly is by saying, “Postures are something we can utilize in order to pursue the practice of yoga: the practice of self-inquiry and self awareness.”

See you on the mat!

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Hips & Hamstrings Immersion

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BREATH OF FIRE

Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
Core strengthening & integration
Master your breath with pranayama practices
Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

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Tripod Headstand To Crow Pose

Tripod Headstand to Crow for Controlled AccessinversionsTRIPOD HEADSTAND TO CROW POSE When exploring an inversion like Tripod Headstand, the shoulder muscles become part of the primary focus. Tripod Headstand on its own can be challenging enough, but adding a...

Shoulder Connections

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Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

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Pigeon Leg Lifts

by Trisha Curling | Feb 23, 2023 | Main Page Display

Pigeon Leg Lifts

Ignite Your Core-Hip Connection

pigeon drill

PIGEON LEG LIFTS

Pigeon Leg Lifts are the perfect example of how you can flip a common yoga posture on its head. You may have explored several variations of Pigeon Pose, but this out-of-the-ordinary drill/variation requires something quite different. Pigeon Leg Lifts boost your ability to feel how much of a role the psoas plays in how you experience your core. In fact, the psoas is considered to be part of the core, but it is not always part of the conversation. Its location in the body, combined with the knowledge of how to highlight it in your yoga practice, helps to bridge the gap between your core and hips. Tapping into this results in greater strength and stability in your yoga practice.

BREATH OF FIRE

Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
Core strengthening & integration
Master your breath with pranayama practices
Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

THE PSOAS

The iliopsoas (often referred to as the psoas) is actually a combination of two muscles, namely the iliacus and psoas major, but is often thought of as one. It’s unique in that it’s the only muscle in the body that crosses over between the upper and lower body. The psoas is a deep muscle that attaches to the lumbar spine and the inner thigh bone. Due to its location in the body, one of its main roles is to stabilize the lumbar spine. The psoas is both a hip flexor and external rotator of the hip, playing a significant role in how you move, on and off of the yoga mat. Contracting this muscle in Pigeon Leg Lifts promotes deeper range of motion and helps you connect more deeply with the abdominal muscles that are part of the core (i.e., rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques).

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PIGEON LEG LIFTS: IGNITE YOUR CORE-HIP CONNECTION

THE CORE-HIP CONNECTION

The psoas works in conjunction with the other core muscles. As mentioned, it’s both a hip flexor and hip external rotator, but it also creates flexion of the spine. Spinal flexion is an entry point to understanding the core-hip connection. In my previous blog, Rectus Abdominis Handstand Drill, I discussed how Matt very intentionally utilizes the activation of rectus abdominis in order to create spinal flexion. Both the psoas’s ability to create the same action and the placement of its attachment points reveal that the psoas is essentially a bridge between the core and the legs. Understanding the link between the core and the hips has the ability to transform your yoga practice.

Activation and strengthening of the psoas is not often illuminated in unique ways in yoga classes. Practicing Pigeon Leg Lifts offers the opportunity to heighten the sensations within the core and the hips.

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WAYS TO EXPLORE PIGEON LEG LIFTS

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates 2 ways to execute Pigeon Leg Lifts. In the 1st option, you’ll see that it’s almost like a “push-up” action with multiple repetitions. The pushing up, however, comes from driving your hips up as far away from your mat as possible. In both options, your arms stay straight, but the 2nd requires that after you lift your hips, you sustain and hold for a few breaths. If you’re looking to fire up the core, then Pigeon Leg Lifts will do it! You can’t escape the intensity of what’s involved. As you lift your hips all the way up, you are simultaneously creating more spinal flexion while your front upper thigh is in external rotation to maintain the “Pigeon position.” If that’s not enough, the action of pressing down the ball mound of the back foot also ignites the psoas and the hip flexors of the back thigh.

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WHY IS THIS USEFUL?

The strengthening of the core, including the psoas, along with deeper spinal flexion is no doubt the “show stopper” of these Pigeon Leg Lifts. Doing this drill will promote greater stability and mobility for enhanced movement on and off of the mat. What’s incredible about the way Matt teaches is that he always provides a compassionate push. In the full class, he says that deliberately engaging muscles in your practice helps you understand what you struggle with the most. Once revealed, this understanding provides opportunities to work on those areas in order to achieve fuller body participation. Within all of this physical awareness, what ends up happening is an unfolding of the mind. Your ability to confront your perceived limitations also strengthens.

Join Matt’s Breath of Fire Immersion to experience the fullness of your practice.

See you on the mat!

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Breath of Fire Immersion

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BREATH OF FIRE

Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
Core strengthening & integration
Master your breath with pranayama practices
Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

6 Postures For Hips and Lower Back

Hips & Hanumanasana

Tripod Headstand To Crow Pose

Shoulder Connections

Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

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Open Splits

by Trisha Curling | Oct 20, 2022 | Main Page Display

Open Splits

Follow This Flexibility Formula

SAMAKONASANA

OPEN SPLITS

Open Splits is one of those postures that may not always make it into your asana practice, but there are a number of good reasons for it to start showing up more often. It does require a considerable amount of flexibility, and Matt lays out the perfect flexibility formula in order to safely execute the posture. What it does is offer much more than the result: It takes you on a path toward greater balance in your body, more specifically in the hips. The adductor muscles don’t often get as much of the limelight as some of the other muscles of the hips (e.g., glutes), so Open Splits (Samakonasana) is an opportunity to create more muscle integrity in the adductors, tensor fasciae latae (TFL) muscles, hip flexors, and inner hamstrings.

Online Yoga for Hip Openers and Flexibility

HIP MOBILITY

October 2022 Immersion

Strengthen and lengthen your hips
Increase active and passive range of motion
Learn anatomical techniques to improve functionality
Access a wider range of seated postures and hip openers
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

MUSCLE INTEGRITY

What is muscle integrity? It’s essentially the health of a muscle or muscle group. This can still be vague—what is a healthy muscle? Part of having healthy muscle tissue means that you have the ability to control the contraction of a particular muscle or the amount of contraction and relaxation within a group of muscles, at any length. This is important in Open Splits, because even though your legs are out wide, you should have the ability to contract back inwards. One of the most important things to do to maintain safe execution is to never go to your full end range. Staying at approximately 70% of your range will help minimize the chance of injury.

WATCH THE VIDEO: OPEN SPLITS: FLEXIBILITY FORMULA

MORE THAN MUSCLE ACTIVATION

There are specific articulations in your body that are key components of the flexibility formula for Open Splits. These articulations will help you achieve the desired activation of muscle tissue and joint placement. For example, the anterior tilt of the pelvis assists in the activation of the TFL (an internal rotator). Once you bring your awareness to this sensation, you can layer on the additional and contrasting action of spiraling the thigh bones outwards in order to ignite the outer hips (abductors) as well.

The most important thing is to always take it step by step. Let’s examine from the beginning each action that Matt breaks down in the video.

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FOLLOW THIS FLEXIBILITY FORMULA

There are a number of actions and co-activations that need to happen in order to maintain safety and build upon muscle integrity in Open Splits. As mentioned before, once you get into a straddle position, it’s important to remain mindful and stay away from going to your complete end range. You should recognize a subtle sensation of stretch in the inner thighs and hamstrings. Staying within this range and then isometrically activating your adductors, hamstrings, and TFL is the formula to follow. The stars of the show, however, are patience and restraint. Staying behind your end range and having the patience to allow your muscles to adapt and continue to grow into new flexibility will promote increased healthy muscle tissue.

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OPEN SPLITS EXECUTION

In the execution of open splits, remember to layer each action:

Dorsiflex your toes and point both knees and toes to the sky
Send inner groins down to the ground
Micro bend your knees (to alleviate pressure here) and press your heels down into the earth (to light up the hamstrings)
Push outward now while pushing toes out and pressing legs apart, so pelvis goes more into anterior tilt (legs stay as they are)
Once you feel the stretch in the adductor muscles, start to press your heels down and micro tuck the tailbone (more posterior tilt of the pelvis), or suction the thigh bones into the hip sockets, so the TFL starts to ignite and pull feet towards each other. It is more about stability here, rather than straining.

Playing with different articulations is helpful in deciphering what areas continue to require attention (i.e., what feels tight and/or what feels hypermobile). For example, if you want to continue bowing forward, you may return back to pressing legs apart and groins back or hips more forward. This will offer a deeper stretch in your adductors. Going back and forth between push and pull actions helps increase hip mobility.

Matt’s current Hip Mobility immersion offers a deep dive into the breakdown of specific asanas related to increased flexibility, strength, and mobility of the hips. More importantly, it puts hip health at center stage. Direct your experience and elevate your practice by registering today.

See you on the mat!

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Hips & Hamstrings

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200 Hour Training

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

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Continue Learning

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

6 Postures For Hips and Lower Back

Hips & Hanumanasana

Tripod Headstand To Crow Pose

Shoulder Connections

Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

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Leg Over Head Preparation

by Trisha Curling | Oct 10, 2022 | Main Page Display

Leg Over Head Preparation

Access Deeper Hip Opening

FLEXIBILITY

LEG OVER HEAD PREPARATION

Looking at a posture like Leg Over Head Pose, you might think that this extreme hip opener is completely off the table in terms of incorporating it into your yoga practice. Don’t turn away from it just yet. As always, it’s the preparation you need to place on a pedestal. Leg Over Head preparation is potentially the key that will unlock your access to this and other hip-opening postures.

HIP MOBILITY

October 2022 Immersion

Strengthen and lengthen your hips
Increase active and passive range of motion
Learn anatomical techniques to improve functionality
Access a wider range of seated postures and hip openers
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Reiman MP, Matheson JW. Restricted hip mobility: clinical suggestions for self-mobilization and muscle re-education. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Oct;8(5):729-40. PMID: 24175151; PMCID: PMC3811738.

CHASING THE POSTURE

Let’s be clear that accessing postures is a nice outcome, but it’s the journey of self discovery along the way that is the true gift. Leg Over Head Pose, even the preparation if you will, can look quite intimidating. It might be a pose you completely reject and turn away from, or it might become a posture you choose to pursue. If you choose the latter, it’s important to understand that “chasing” the posture is not the answer. It’s an extreme posture, so taking your time through the process, unfolding your individual needs, and allowing yourself to be patient with all that’s required is the best approach.

Relentlessly chasing the posture may take you further away from feeling the benefits it has to offer. A healthy amount of discernment regarding when to push forward and when to pull back will provide a more positive experience.

WATCH THE VIDEO: LEG OVER HEAD PREPARATION

RESTRICTION OF THE HIPS

Because so many parts of the hip play an active role in its execution, Leg Over Head preparation is an excellent posture to include in your practice when restriction/tightness of the hips is an issue. The muscles that need to be lengthened are primarily the hamstrings, adductors, and outer hips. The pose also requires extreme hip flexion and rotation.

“Restricted hip mobility has shown a strong correlation with various pathologies of the hip, lumbar spine, and lower extremities. Restricted mobility can consequently have deleterious effects not only at the involved joint but throughout the entire kinetic chain.”

Limited hip mobility leaves the door open for potential injury. This may be expressed as back pain, pelvic instability, everyday and/or athletic performance hindrance, and more. Focusing on benefits such as increased range of motion, better alignment, and increased flexibility will steer you in a positive direction.

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LEG OVER HEAD PREPARATION STEP BY STEP

Level I Preparation

(on the left side)

Get into Lizard position
Place 1 or 2 block(s) under your left foot
Move back and up with hips
Take your left arm underneath your left leg and grab your ankle or the block with your hand
Place your forehead on a block (try 3rd or highest height of the block)

Along with the setup of the posture, it’s the following 3 actions that promote increased flexibility and range of motion in hips:

Pull your front heel down and back
Widen left buttock out to the left
Squeeze front shin in

Activating these muscles until you feel like there is no more stretch sensation left is the signal that it may be ok to explore going deeper into the posture. In these instances, going slowly in order to stay safe will increase compliance of the tissues, making the goal of increased hip mobility a reality.

Matt also suggests that you go several rounds on each side to really prepare. Adding in a little gentle movement within the posture, to become aware of the sensations, can also be extremely helpful.

ADDITIONAL ACTIONS FOR DEEPER HIP OPENING

In order to take your experience even further, Matt recommends some additional actions:

Your back leg can maneuver around in order to accommodate the front leg; maybe the back knee more in line with the left knee will allow for movement back for a deeper hamstring stretch. It’s important to be aware of the sensations in the knee. If your front knee feels off, then back off of the straightening
Pressing the front foot forward activates the quadriceps
Pressing hamstrings and sit bones apart might give more range of motion (although pressing the heel down and back are the main actions)

Explore one action at a time so as not to be overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. This approach also allows you to come into a fuller understanding of how each action feels in your own body.

Sensations may be different within a given practice, which is why moving mindfully is essential.

Online Classes to Increase Hip and Hamstring Flexibility

HIPS & HAMSTRINGS

ONLINE YOGA IMMERSION

12 classes to increase flexibility of the hips and hamstrings
Maximize your strength through range of motion
Access your pose potential
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Sensation-based practices
Unlock and strengthen major muscle groups
Active, passive, and isometric stretching
Improve mobility and stability
So much more!

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UNRAVEL YOUR POTENTIAL

Leg Over Head preparation does not have to be intimidating. It’s a posture you can get excited about because there are so many techniques and variations to explore. Turn towards what you initially may have wanted to resist. You may surprise yourself with the breakthrough that’s on the other side.

See you on the mat!

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Hips & Hamstrings

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CHOOSE YOUR PATH

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

200 Hour Training

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

300 HOUR TRAINING

Continue Learning

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

6 Postures For Hips and Lower Back

Hips & Hanumanasana

Tripod Headstand To Crow Pose

Shoulder Connections

Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

All Videos

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Fire Hydrant Pose: Hip Technique

by Trisha Curling | Oct 6, 2022 | Main Page Display

Fire Hydrant Pose: Hip Technique

Stability & Mobility Unleashed

hip mobility

FIRE HYDRANT POSE: HIP TECHNIQUE

Part of the equation for improved function and mobility of the hips is building and creating strength, but first you have to understand how to actually do so. It’s not just about knowing which postures to include in your physical yoga practice; it’s really about the execution. Understanding how to implement specific anatomical techniques will help you go beyond what you may believe your body is capable of. This Fire Hydrant Pose hip technique is the perfect example of how to more fully understand your body and know exactly how to unleash stability and mobility in your hips.

HIP MOBILITY

October 2022 Immersion

Strengthen and lengthen your hips
Increase active and passive range of motion
Learn anatomical techniques to improve functionality
Access a wider range of seated postures and hip openers
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

HIP ABDUCTION

There are 4 main muscles that work together to create hip abduction, which is what creates the shape of Fire Hydrant Pose. These muscles are the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) and the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. It’s not as simple as just lifting your leg away from your midline. Lateral rotation of the hip also plays a significant role in unlocking the strength that creates increased stability and mobility in the hips. In order to more deeply grasp this, we must understand a few things.

In the posture itself, we maximize its benefits by executing specific articulations. Knowing the anatomy is extremely helpful because you get a better mental picture of what is happening as you are engaging in these movements/articulations. This strengthens the neuromuscular connection.

WATCH THE VIDEO: FIRE HYDRANT POSE: HIP TECHNIQUE

CONCENTRIC VS. ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION

The action of lifting one leg out to the side (abduction) in Fire Hydrant Pose creates a concentric contraction in the glute muscles. A concentric contraction causes muscles to shorten through movement. In a different way, this is also happening in the standing leg: In this case, it’s the lateral tilt of the pelvis. Although the standing leg is fixed, in order to get a greater range of motion in the lifted leg, the “hugging in” of the hip of the standing leg also creates a shortening of the glute muscles. Once you are fixed in your variation of the posture, maintaining the contractions/activations without movement is what creates an isometric contraction. This sets the foundation for stability, but how can you take it to the next level?

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HIP STABILITY

The gluteus maximus and TFL attach to the iliotibial band, and when they co-activate, they help to abduct the hip joint. This doesn’t discount the other muscles that contribute here; glute medius and minimus also play a major role. These muscles are known as the abductor group, but they also stabilize the pelvis. For stability to occur, there must be an equal or balanced amount of co-activation from the muscles that surround the hip.

You’ll see in today’s video the specific anatomical techniques and articulations that Matt takes you through so as to take this experience to the next level.

FIRE HYDRANT POSE PREPARATION

Here are the steps:

Bend your knees like in Chair Pose and place your hands on your right knee
Hips go back, and bum tilts up
Left foot out to the side, turning thigh bone in (internal rotation)
Keep internal rotation and lift up through the heel (more concentric contraction is occurring to lift the left leg; once static, you are in isometric contraction)
Meanwhile, squeeze right hip in (the abductors of the right hip are activating to allow the pelvis to open up)

It’s the internal rotation that helps to activate the TFL. When your upper thigh bone is internally rotated, you can more easily lift through your heels. This is how to execute the co-activation that’s so important in creating more integrity and health in your hip joint. You’re now recruiting more muscle groups that surround the hip in order to create more stability. Increased hip stability (along with flexibility) establishes increased hip mobility.

ANATOMY IN MOTION

APRIL 2022 Immersion

Embody anatomy
Learn key muscles, bones, and joints
Visualize your movements internally
Improve proprioception
Sensation-based practices
Unlock and strengthen major muscle groups
Active, passive, and isometric stretching
Improve mobility and stability
Get VERY geeky

$168.00