Your Hips Don’t Lie…
So, I had an aha moment while writing this blog. I have a love/hate relationship with pigeon pose, I see all the benefits, often crave it, but just as often kind of hate it.
*If you have practiced this pose, you probably know what I mean.
I always wondered why Eka Pada Rajakapotasana was called Pigeon; I have seen many pigeons in my life, I have never seen one tuck her foot under her hip and then lie face first on the ground. But then, while looking for a good pigeon picture (literally looking for a good pigeon picture, oh, life 😉 I saw a lot of messenger pigeons and after a few moments, it kind of blew my mind. Our hips are messengers, if you are not treating them (read yourself) right, emotionally or physically, they will let you know.
*To be fair, it also kind of blew my mind that some pigeons wear little backpacks.
Do you remember learning The Skeleton Dance? “The foot bone is connected to the leg bone….the thigh bone is connected to the hip bone, the hip bone connected to the backbone.” They are all connected, meaning we are all connected; and our hips are the centre of it all.
Tight hips can cause: sciatica, back, knee, shoulder, neck and foot pain, and can contribute to arthritis, bursitis and back spasms. They also cause limited mobility and when we do not move as easily, we tend to move less, which can lead to weight gain and weaken cardiovascular and respiratory system. Our hips are the bridge between our upper and lower body, they are where we carry our centre of gravity and according to yogic philosophy, they are the “junk drawer” of our body; where we store any emotions that we are not ready to get rid of, but don’t really know where else to put.
*My actual junk drawer…the Ritz box is full of pens most of which don’t work…
So, yoga of course can help, a lot, especially if you practice hip openers. Hip openers are like the spring cleaning of yoga. You know how when it’s time to start spring cleaning, perhaps you often feel dread and even resentment of the upcoming task (that is how I feel about pigeon); and then in the midst of the job (or truthfully, the pose), a whole myriad of issues can arise including frustration, anger and maybe even grief. The trick is, as with most anything worthwhile, is to remember the end result. You know that moment at the end, that “Ahhh”, when you feel motivated, liberated and satisfied, feel simply a job well done. You get those same feelings from hip openers. After all, isn’t taking care of ourselves a job well done?
*Did she just finish spring cleaning or a great hip opener yoga class? Seriously hard to tell.
P.S. I would love to hear what you think. Please “Leave a Reply” below, or you can email me directly at yogabeyondwords@gmail.com.
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