The other day, I woke up feeling like someone had put a vice grip on the outside of my right hip and right side of the sacrum. I mean, legit, I hated life. I tried to do my normal practice, but could barely move through things, because–for whatever reason, my body was like– oh no you don’t!
Have you ever had a day like that? Like out of the blue–everything is fine then BAM you wake up feeling like you got hit with a freight train. (I like to think it’s me fighting off the ninjas in my sleep. :))
Did you know yoga can help with days like this?
First of all, if you do have an injury, definitely seek the advice of your primary physician.
Then, or if you’re looking for a few stretches to help you find some space in the outer hip, I have
JUST THE THING FOR YOU! It’s a free yoga sequence designed specifically to help you open up tight hips, make room in the low back for movement, and to just breath into the the spaces that are holding you up.
Typically, forward folds with straight legs exacerbate this issue, so I try to keep my knees bent at all times when both legs are extended out in a forward fold. To alleviate some of this tension, I often do one bent leg in a forward fold. This always for a little more wiggle room in that low back.
One example of the pose seen in this video, which is GREAT for creating some space in the low back and sacrum area, is a version of Ardha Baddha Pada Paschimottanasana. Here, instead of a half lotus, I have my one leg in a “figure 4” position crossed over the other leg
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Because the one leg is bent, these forward folds aren’t as troublesome when my low back is acting up.
Remember, this is yoga in a more therapeutic manner, so you’re not trying to muscle through things, you’re trying to breathe and relax.
“The issues are in the tissues.” That means you may have a physical injury to your body, but there may also be something else causing you the pain. Whether it is physical, psychological, emotional–our bodies, yours and mine–they can’t separate the trauma, the injury. You may never have done anything physically to cause the problem but something in your life happened and this one particular area may be holding on to the scar that is that issue. That’s why a therapeutic approach to the yoga practice is much different than a regular physical practice you may find in a studio near your or online.
If you’re back is giving you some grief, try holding this pose–and the poses found in the video for upwards of 20-50 breaths. There’s an old yoga saying, “if you can hold a pose for 50 breaths, then you know the pose.” Get to know these poses so that your body can start to loosen up and enjoy this life!
If you’d like a quick low back sequence, sign up below for me to send you something directly to your inbox!