Hello and welcome to this unlock your hips in practice.
So we are going to do a few postures today.
I recommend having a block and a blanket.
And this entire practice is hips focused.
So we'll spend about 10 minutes working on the connective tissue and the hip joints from different directions.
So we're beginning with a fire log pose.
It's also sometimes called a double pigeon.
You'll do this by taking your bottom leg and creating a 90 degree angle at the knee and the ankle,
And then stacking your other foot on top.
So working towards getting those two shins parallel.
And grounding down through both hips equally.
As you elongate your spine and soften your shoulders.
And as you're in this position,
Bring in your awareness.
Not to the hips,
But to the low back.
Taking three big deep breaths here.
Imagining that the low back expands and softens with every inhale and each exhale.
Just letting gravity do your work.
And then to get to the other side,
You'll just switch your legs.
So the leg that was on top is now on the bottom.
Creating those 90 degree angles at both the knees and the ankles,
Working on stacking shins one on top of the other.
You'll be able to check if your legs are in the proper position by looking down,
And your legs should create almost a little bit of a triangle shape.
So your two stacked shins being the long straight edge of the triangle.
Continuing to ground down equally.
Through your glutes and elongating through the spine and the crown of the head.
Working on the outer rotation of the hips here.
Breath remains low in the belly.
Then unwinding,
Bringing the soles of the feet to touch in front of you,
Creating a bound angle or butterfly with the legs.
Inhaling first,
Elongating the spine,
Creating space.
And then exhale,
Hinge at the hips and round in the space you created.
Maybe stacking your fists,
Letting your forehead rest on top.
Try to find some place to either rest your forehead.
Or some way that you can release a tension from the back of the neck.
And as you rest in this position.
Feel all the small muscles that run up and down the spine.
Release.
Noticing the rise and fall of the belly with every inhale and each exhale.
Then with control,
Rolling back up.
Helping the legs in and finding your block.
We're going to move into a dragonfly,
Or some of you may know this position as lizard.
So we are going to find a low lunge first,
Taking your right foot out to the upper right edge of the mat,
Finding this nice wide stance.
And lowering yourself down,
Maybe by bending the elbows or forearms and come to a block,
Or maybe they come down to the floor.
Once again,
Releasing tension from the back of the neck.
Crown of the head bows down towards the earth.
And breathing low and slow.
And in this posture,
Just thinking about your hips melting closer to the earth.
Feeling that gentle hug of gravity from above.
Imagining inhale filling up in the low back and hips.
And exhaling,
Softening the hips one inch closer down to the earth.
Doing this a few more times in this position.
And then easing out of this shape and going right into the other side.
Option here to have the blanket underneath the back knee to soften the surface.
So just lowering down to the opposite side.
That left foot goes to the upper left corner of the mat.
Crown of the head bowing towards the earth.
Breathing down low.
And inhaling,
Feeling the hips and low back expand.
And exhaling,
Imagining the hips sinking one inch closer to the earth.
Then slowly easing out of this position.
And then taking your blanket.
Folding it a few times so it takes up a nice wide spot on your mat we're going to go into our last position which is a frog position so taking the legs wide creating a 90 degree angle at the knees and the ankles coming down onto the forearms.
And if you find that your hips are quite close to your heels.
Bring your body a little bit farther forward so that the hips and knees are in one straight line.
Take the legs a little bit further apart and then come down onto the forearm.
So we won't be here for too long.
But breathing space into those areas that may be talking to you.
Imagining that the spine and the hips are releasing tension.
At the pelvis.
Letting go of any clenching.
Just taking three more big deep breaths here.
And then making your way out of this position by coming up to the hands.
Bring in one leg at a time.
Coming to a seated position just for a moment.
Thanking yourself for being here and doing this work today.
And thank you so much for coming and joining me for this practice.
Your hips and eyes.
