![]() Yoga’s physical postures allow prana (or life-giving breath) to flow, activating and directing energy appropriately, according to yogic philosophy. To that end, one of the most accessible ways to undo these restrictions and find second-chakra balance is through asana. We sit more, and for longer periods, than ever, resulting in restricted (and sometimes weakened) hips that inhibit the second chakra’s creative energies. Unfortunately, our modern, predominantly desk- and car-bound lives can exacerbate imbalance in the second chakra. Physically, the body can manifest these shackled emotions as unexplained lower-back pain, tight hips, sexual-organ dysfunction, and reproductive challenges. In addition to feeling like you’re in a rut, you might be unable to connect intimately or embrace deep self-love, explains Christiane Northrup, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN and author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, a woman-centered book about the unity of mind, body, emotions, and spirit. ![]() You also tend to try to control everything, and your life might lack zest. However, when svadisthana is blocked, by emotional trauma or chronic stress, for example, you are unable to connect with your passions. When svadisthana energy is in balance-not too intense and not too laid-back-you can access feelings of abundance, joy, and pleasure, and clear the way for creative energy to flow freely. Physically, it’s located near your sacrum and hips, below your navel, and is said to be the seat of your reproductive organs. It’s the second chakra, svadisthana chakra, that holds the key to unlocking and harnessing the energy you need to be innovative and to make change.Įnergetically, the second chakra rules creativity, emotions, joy, enthusiasm, and sensuality. Described as interconnected nodes within the subtle-energy body, the chakras run along your spine and essentially map to your endocrine and hormonal systems. So how do you tap into that truly transformative, but often elusive, energy of creativity? Via the chakras, first mentioned thousands of years ago in sacred Hindu texts called the Upanishads. To demolish that dam you need creativity, the power to turn dormant, dusty thoughts and dreams into actions and realities, and to find clever solutions to relationship, work, and other life challenges. That’s because we can’t flow toward the life we want until the debris is cleared. We get blocked- by dead-end career paths, robotic daily routines, or too much drama in our relationships-and feel stranded, without the momentum to make change. For many of us, this is how reaching toward our life goals can feel. Imagine wading through a river choked with mud and fallen branches. I love the feeling of space and strength it gives me.Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! This is my go-to hip routine that is safe to practice several times a week. We’ll take a look at three stretches for each compartment of your hip (Hip Flexors, Adductors, Hamstrings, External Rotators, Abductors). The sequence below offers a variety of poses to improve hip flexibility and mobility. So what does this mean? Essentially, almost any yoga pose can be thought of as a hip opener since we are using the muscles around the hips in many different ways. People think hip openers are limited to poses like pigeon, where the femur is externally rotated, but something like eagle, where the leg is internally rotated is also a hip stretch. This tightness, which can cause back pain and sciatica and affect mobility, is really in all the muscles surrounding the pelvis. Many people find that their "hips" are tight due to spending a lot of time sitting, both at work and in cars. These include big muscle groups like the hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, adductors (inner thighs) and abductors (outer thighs), as well as many smaller, deeper muscles including the piriformis and the psoas. Generally, when we talk about opening the hips we're referring to the muscles around the pelvis, legs, lower spine and sacrum. For instance, we often talk about poses that open or stretch the hips in yoga, but what does that really mean? The hips are a complicated area, anatomically speaking. Although I was only in the field for less than two years, I’m grateful for the knowledge that I learned because I’m still able to weave it into my yoga teachings today!Īnatomy and the technical exploration of asana is something I’m really passionate about. I went to a bodywork school and studied neuromuscular therapy, structural integration and myofascial release. Before I became a full-time yoga instructor, I worked at a chiropractic clinic as a massage therapist.
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