12 Aug Exercises for problems in the hip joints
by Linda Madani
The body is our greatest teacher and sometimes pain is necessary to put us on the right track. We need to listen to our body by paying attention to the areas that are sore or stiff, without judgment.
The practice below is designed to relieve you from the pain and the stiffness. When you do these positions do not force but rather gently snuggle and surrender with sensitivity. Do not rush to your maximum extension. The slower you go the deeper you will get.
There are different degrees of quality of pain that range from beneficial to non beneficial. A non beneficial pain is a warning signal that tells you that the depth of the posture is too strong and that you need to release or pull back from the pose. A beneficial pain is merely a strong sensation. Try not to become tense and worried when you feel discomfort. Quiet your mind and calm your breathing. The breath is the great healer.
In a deep stretch, go to your edge of the posture/boundaries and stay there while drawing the breath to the affected area of the body. Use the breath to massage the places where you experience discomfort in your body. Let the breath, the “prana” “life force” “qi” stroke the intensity in the specific area with gentleness and compassion.
Dvipada Pitham
- Lie on back with arms down at side, knees bent and feet on the floor, slightly apart and not to close to the buttocks.
- Inhale, Pressing down on feet keeping chin down, raise pelvis until neck is gently flattened on the floor, while raising arms overhead to floor behind.
- Exhale. Return to starting position.
Begin with feet nearly together. After 2 times, widen feet to the width of hips. After 2 more times, make feet slightly wider.
Repeat 6 times.
Bhujangasana
- Lie on your stomach with palms by chest, head turn on one side.
- Inhale, lift the chest and legs at the same time, turning the head to the center.
- Exhale keep the chest and open the legs.
- Inhale, bring your legs together.
- Exhale lower the chest to floor, turning head to opposite side.
Repeat 6 times.
Cat pose and cow pose
- Get down on hands and knees, with shoulders vertically above wrists and with hips above knees.
- Inhale lift the chest up, tilt the tail bone up Cakravakasana, cow pose.
- Exhale, press on the hands, tail bone down, and gently contract the belly, round the back navel to the spine.
Repeat 8 times.
Knee to the side
- Get down on hands and knees, with shoulders vertically above wrists and with hips above knees.
- Inhale, lift the right knee to the right and Exhale it down Inhale lift the left knee to the left and exhale it down.
Repeat 6 times on each side.
Legs to the back
- Get down on hands and knees, with shoulders vertically above wrists and with hips above knees.
- Inhale look up and lift your right leg up to the back.
- Exhale, bring the knee to the forehead.
Repeat 3 times.
- Inhale, look up and lift your left leg up to the back Exhale, bring the knee to the forehead.
Repeat 3 times.
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
- Sit on the floor with your legs and the soles of your feet together.
- Remove the excess flesh fro your buttocks and sit on the sitting bones.
- Erect your spine and grab your feet. Press the sole of the feet together, and gently drop your knees toward the floor. Breathe gently, Stay like this one minute.
- Move the pelvis forward and put your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Wiggle the buttocks backward to be on the sitting bones.
- Inhale and lower your back forward, extend your arms and stretch your spine.
- Exhale and slide your hands forward. Find your edge then and breathe gently. Wait for the intensity to lessen and then exhale and go deeper.
- Keep sliding your hands away from you, slowly edge by edge.
- Keep your gazes toward the floor and keep your neck long.
- Inhale from the bottom of the spine and exhale through the crown of your head and arms.
- Breathe gently. Listen to the rhythm of the breath. one to five minutes.
P.S. this next position should be done only if it feels right for the body.
- Upavistha Konasana (Open Angle Pose)
1st part:
- Sit on the floor with your legs spread wide.
- Place one hand on the floor in front of you and one hand behind you and lift your hips and move forward slightly.
- Use you hands to pull the excess flesh and sit on the sitting bones.
- Make sure that your knees and inner edge of your feet are vertical.
- Press the back of each thigh down into the floor, flexing your feet.
- Erect your spine.
- Lift the chest upward away from the pelvis, move the shoulders back and shoulder blades down, navel in and up.
- Bring you palms together in namaste, lifting the top of your spine up.
- Close your eyes and become grounded.
- Meditate for a little while. Let your face be soft.
2nd part:- Bent forward and place your hands on the floor. Hands shoulder width apart. Snuggle your palm into the floor.
- Wriggle the buttocks backward and position yourself on the frontal edge of the sitting bones, tail bone up.
- Inhale bent forward, press the back of your thighs down and stretch the front of your body.
- Elongate your arms.
- Exhale slide your hands forward until you reach your edge. Wait for a little while and go deeper by sliding your hands further forward. Breathe smoothly
- Do not fold as deeply as you can all at once.
- Breathe smoothly, slowly. Feel the movement of breath move through your body. Be there five minutes.
- To come out of the pose, walk your hands backward and inhale as you return to a seated position.
- Bring your hands together into namaste.
- Close your eyes and meditate some more.
Supta Baddha Konasana
- Lie flat on your back and relax the whole body especially the legs, pelvis and lower back.
- Bend your knees, bringing your feet close to your buttocks.
- Slowly let your knees fall on the side and bring the soles of the feet together. Do not push or strain.
- Hold this position.
- Inhale and as you exhale send the breath to wherever you feel tension. Stay in this posture for at least one or two minutes.
- Inhale and bring your knees together and relax, keeping your back on the floor.
Butterfly
- Lie on your back with knees bent toward chest.
- Inhale lift heels upward and straightening legs.
- Exhale open the legs wide.
- Inhale, close the legs.
Repeat 6 times.
- Padangusthasana movement
First part:
- Lie on your back with your arms in cross.
- Inhale, lift your right leg up.
- Exhale, bend your knee and put your foot flat on the floor.
- Inhale, raise your leg up again.
- Exhale, the leg down.
Repeat 5 times.
Second part:- Inhale, lift the right leg up.
- Exhale, bend the knee and put the foot flat on the floor.
- Inhale, rest.
- Exhale, lower your knee to the right.
- Inhale, lift the knee up.
Repeat 5 times.
Third part:- Exhale lower the knee again.
- Inhale, this time extend your leg to the right (keep the leg off the floor).
- Exhale, bend your knee (keep the leg off the floor).
- Inhale, bring the knee up again.
- Exhale rest.
Repeat 5 times.
Fourth part:- Exhale, bring the right knee to the left and look over the right shoulder into a twist.
- Both shoulders are on the floor.
- Extend the right leg.
- Exhale bent again.
Repeat 5 times.
Apanasana
- Lie on your back with both knees bent toward chest and feet off floor.
- Place hands on the knees.
- Exhale, pull thighs gently to the chest.
- Inhale return to starting position.
Repeat 6 times.
SavasanaLie flat on your back, with arms at your sides, palms up and lefts slightly apart. Close your eyes and relax your body fully. Practicing Savasana at the end of the session allows the body to integrate the benefits of the practice and decreases fatigue and lactic acid build up.Practice 15 minutes.
Email from Pete dated November 3rd, 2007
Hi, thank you for some help on alleviating hip pain and stiffness. Just wondering with the no.4. Knee to the side if I should persist in trying to do it, my hips keep locking when I try to move them out to the side. Even if I can get them a little way that’s a start… isn’t it? Anyways thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
Pete
Reply from Linda dated November 4th, 2007
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your e-mail. I am glad it helps. For number 4 try to find your edge before it locks. You may find that your edge improves little by little. You may want to rotate the hip a little before, leading with the knee. You may even use this rotation as an alternative exercise.
Knee to the side with rotation
- Get down on hands and knees, with shoulders vertically above wrists and with hips above knees.
- Inhale, lift the right knee and leading with the knee make small rotation of the hip.
- Repeat 6 times on each side.
You may also just skip this exercise altogether. Let me know how it goes. Do you mind if I published your email on my website? I would also put a picture of this alternative exercise together with your e-mail.
Blessings,
Linda
Reply from Peter dated November 4th, 2007
Thank you, Linda
By all means publish away. I’ll try it. I’ve just started your exercises, so I’ll add that new variation in the morning.
Thank you, again.
Kind regards,
Pete
New email from Pete dated November 4th,2007
Hi Linda
Thank you for the little adjustment. Works nicely, still a bit of an effort, as for some reason they don’t like to move in any other direction than forward and backwards.
Kind regards,
Pete
Reply from Linda dated November 4th, 2007
Hi Pete,
Wonderful. Just keep practicing mindfully and it should get easier. Just be very connected with your body and do not tolerate pain. Learn how to discriminate between discomfort and pain which is a warning bell. Only you can make that distinction.
Linda