Note: It's Hip to Take it Easy

First of all, I am wondering if I have a hip labral tear. I played roller derby for five years and beat myself up to the point that I was literally broken in half and hospitalized for a week. I escaped the sport with two three surgeries, two metal plates, fourteen screws, and two of my four limbs intact. However, I hadn’t considered the damage I had done to my spine and hips -- my hips took most of the falls. Five years, later I see an acupuncturist and chiropractor weekly and practice yoga daily. My left hand works most of the time. My right leg does the hulk thing from compartment syndrome. My lower back is irritated by driving and sitting… and my right hip pops. Most days I feel fine. Some days, I feel out of whack. Thus the turn towards a safer and healthier form of physical activity: yoga.

In her articles on yoga and hip movements, Dr. Ginger Garner warns yoga teachers to be mindful of the words they choose since they will face a variety of body types. First of all, yoga is for everyone -- but every range of a pose is not. Modifications of poses are essential to prevent injury and prepare the body for future poses. Yoga is a practice of moderation on and off the mat. Teachers should invite students to listen to their bodies and do the pose that is right for them. All week I have been taking classes while on vacation at 9th Limb Yoga Studio in Morro Bay. Each day the teacher, Seanna Tracy, invited us to return to cat-cow if a part of the sequence was not right for us. That fact that she verbally offered this made me feel like I could go at my own pace and that I had a choice. So, while the others practiced headstands in the Friday morning Shivananda class -- I was meowing (internally). This morning I took a Goat Yoga class -- with what I am assuming was lots of beginner or first time yoga practitioners. We were not offered a resting pose (other than chilling with the goat that came up to your mat -- which was more implied than stated.) Many people struggled through the sequence without the option to pause and do yoga on their own terms. The point is, as a teacher, always offer a resting pose especially when you go into more difficult postures. Teach practitioners to listen to their bodies and trust their own limits. How else can we measure growth?

Garner recommends yoga practitioners prioritize stability above everything else. This goes hand in hand with the Seaside Yoga Teacher Training I have experienced so far. Learning to stand in tadasana (mountain pose), correctly, was mind-bending. In each pose, we notice our weight distribution, ground down, lift from the arches/ belly button, before we move our limbs into the poses. In doing this, the weight is in the right place and the right muscles -- not joints/ ligaments -- but muscles are engaged. As a teacher, starting out with the foundations of each pose is key to accomplishing the pose correctly and avoiding injury. To add strength, Gardner recommends yoga practitioners hold the poses for twice as long and double the transition time. In her article, “Hip on Yoga: Three Golden Rules for Happy Hips,” she advises: 1. Practice moderation (in all things) 2. Change up your routine (to avoid overuse injuries and plateaus) 3. Be kind to your body. Do not force or expect the “full expression” of poses from yourself or students. Instead Garner asks yoga teacher to remind their students to “slow down, move mindfully, and feel.”

Namaste!

"“Hip Openers” In Yoga? Please, Let's Stop The Madness | Yogauonline." Yogauonline.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 14 July 2019.