When I attended an all-women's college (oh, so many years ago...!), the principal way to meet men was to attend weekend mixers and dances on campus and at nearby MIT and Harvard. Back then, one of my closest friends, who was from Hawaii, used many funny phrases to discuss interactions with men and how to play it safe in the dating world.
She warned that we must avoid coming off as a being a "loose-hipped chick." I think you can gather what that means! This phrase made me laugh then and it makes me laugh now because the irony is that you DO literally want to be a "loose-hipped" female or a "loose-hipped male!"
The yoga knee and thigh stretch described below is excellent for opening and loosening the hips and connecting muscles and tendons in your thighs. Regular practice eliminates tension in these areas and enhances your overall limberness, leaving you feeling great!
I provided instructions for this pose in a previous post i 2011, but I repeat them here since opening the hips is so important. As Dr. Timothy McCall says in his book, Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing, "A lack of flexibility in the hips can put strain on the knee joint, due to improper alignment of the thigh and shin bones. Back pain can be caused by tightness in the hamstrings-muscles in the back of the thighs-that leads to a flattening of the lumbar spine."
Speaking of "loosening up," it is New Year's Eve day! This is the time when many people create (or should we say "recreate") their "New Year's resolutions." Ahh - how that terms sounds so stilted! This does not mean that I am criticizing making a commitment to a change to more positive habits, practices, and so forth in the New Year - no at all! In fact, if you haven't yet started yoga, I can't think of a better way to begin the new year than with a gentle yoga practice.
However, given that so many people fail to keep their New Year's "resolutions," I suggest an alternative way of keeping your commitments - that is by "loosening up" your attitude toward them. I love spiritual writer Emmet Fox's guidance about succeeding in any endeavor. And you can apply this to beginning or continuing a yoga at home practice in the new year.
"Loosen up. As a certain character on the air used to say, "unlax." Do not be tense. To be tense is the surest way to fail in any undertaking great or small...The carefree attitude of approach in any endeavor is a short-cut to success. In music, in sport, in study, in business life, many people fail, or advance very slowly, because they make work of it. They would succeed beyond their wildest expectations if they would treat it as fun...Take it easy. Loosen up!"
In conclusion, yoga can loosen and open you up so that you enjoy greater energy, flexibility, and serenity. Just make sure your also treat your yoga practice as fun in 2013.
Knee and Thigh Stretch or Bound Angle Pose (Sanskrit name is Baddha Konasana; baddha means bound; kona means angle) - Copyright 2011
Type of yoga pose: Active, seated
Body parts targeted: Thighs and legs
How to do the pose:
1. Sit erect on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you, knees straight, toes and heels together.
2. Bend both legs at the knees and slowly bring your feet toward you, heels together, until the soles of your feet are as close to your groin as is comfortable.
3. Intertwine your fingers and grasp both feet with your hands. Continue to sit tall.
4. Sitting erect and continuing to hold your feet with your hands, slowly press down as far as you can toward the floor without straining or experiencing pain.
5. Hold the pose motionless for 10 seconds.
6. Slowly and gently ease the pressure from your legs and allow them to rise and return to their original, relaxed position.
7. Inhale and exhale slowly for up to 5 seconds and repeat the pose if desired.
Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:
Always sit tall and erect; avoid slumping or you won’t reap the maximum benefits! Do not bob your legs up and down to try to maximize your stretch. Never push or strain.
When I began this pose my legs stuck almost straight up in the air! Being able to reach the floor with my legs bent seemed impossible. Nevertheless, patience and persistence prevail. It may take you a few weeks or even a couple of months before your legs can reach the floor. Don’t be discouraged. Your thighs benefit even if you can stretch your legs only a bit in the beginning. Over time, gravity and daily downward gentle pressure on your legs will do the trick!
excellent issues altogether, you just gained a new reader. What could you suggest about your put up that you simply made some days in the past? Any positive?
Posted by: Low T | October 10, 2013 at 12:37 AM