Feb 26 2020 3 mins 7
Tight Hips As yogis we spend a lot of time stretching out our hips but in reality we actually need to be spending time strengthening our hips. In this video I am going to show you how to test if your hip is weak and a hip strengthening exercise that is part of my progressions for preparing for malasana pose video. Today I am going to show you how to test if your hip flexors are weak and then show you one way to strengthen your hip flexors that I use in the malasana prep class that I filmed for our members. Malasana pose requires mobility and stability of the hips and pelvis. It requires a deep bend at the hips bringing your legs up to the troso/your torso to your legs. This mobility and stability of your hips/pelvis will be supported movements that include both strengthening hip flexion as well as the mobility of the hip. In the class I filmed for our members, I did this with several yoga inspired movements using mini bands and blocks. Once we test out if your hip flexor is weak from overstretching in yoga poses like lunge pose/anjaneyasana, dancer pose, bow pose or warrior one pose I will show you a hip flexor strengthening exercise that will also strengthen your core using the mini band. How to Progress Malasana Pose /Garland Pose in Yoga Malasana pose offers mobility and stability of your ankles, knees, hips and spine. It is a wonderful opening for your back, groin and increases circulation to your digestive and menstrual systems, relieving sciatica, menstrual cramps and constipation. This pose can be incredibly challenging so we will focus on progressions that target: 1. Mobility and Stability of your ankles. Malasana pose requires dorsi-flexion of your ankles meaning that you have to draw your toes back towards your shins. Often restrictions in your achilles tendon, calf muscles, especially the deeper soleus muscle will prevent you from being able to lower your heels to the ground. While sometimes restrictions in this pose are skeletal and structural, we will do some myofascial release using a foam roller to help lower your ankles to the ground. 2. Mobility and stability of the knees. Garland pose requires deep flexion of your knees, in other words, a deep knee bend. There are several movements in this class that will build the safe alignment of knee flexion with the mini bands including quad strength, hamstring strength and glute strength to support your knees, but also your hips and ankles. 3. Mobility and stability of the hips and pelvis. Malasana pose requires a deep bend at the hips bringing your legs up to the troso/your torso to your legs. This mobility and stability of your hips/pelvis will be supported movements that include both strengthening hip flexion as well as the mobility of the hip using yoga blocks and mini bands. 4. In malasana your spine needs to be able to move into axial extension. This is a fancy way of saying that your spine needs to be able to lengthen up towards the sky. Movements that develop strong core muscles and erector spinae muscles - the muscles along either side of your spine along your back, will support you in lengthening your spine in this pose. Thanks so much for watching and if you would like access to the full video with step by step progressions into malasana pose including ankle stability and mobility, mobility and stability of your knees, core strength and back strength in addition to hip mobility and strength then I will leave a direct link for members as well as a link to join our membership community.
