The hips are the gateway to…EVERYTHING!

Throughout my life, I’ve always been drawn to movement.  After over a decade of working as an ER nurse and enduring the physical and emotional stress that comes with the job, I noticed that I had accumulated some aches and pains that were there pretty much every day.  I had always been active but preferred “a good sweat” – anything from high intensity interval training to boxing that would make me sweat and also help relieve some of my frustrations, anger, sadness, and stress.  I tried to remedy them with massages, stretching, acupuncture, and chiropractic care but realized that those were only “passive fixes” and would only be temporary. 

After I took my yoga teacher training in 2018, I was able to tune into my body from a very different angle and approach my stress management and pain by listening to my body and noticing subtle sensations and areas of tenderness.  Having a solid basis in anatomy already, I started learning about bio-mechanics and how the different muscles, bones, tendons, joints and ligaments work together and relate to one another to produce movement.  Since most of my physical issues were located in the hips and low back, I learned how to strengthen weak parts and elongate tight ones.  Along with focusing on bio-mechanics, I also learned how to apply pranayama and connect my breath with movement to soften, let go, and ease into poses.  I discovered that because of their connection to the low back, abdomen, pelvis, and legs, the hips really are the gateway to everything! I also learned that there are many others who have similar issues – a product of our society, where we spend most of our lives in a sitting position.  I still have intermittent aches and pains, but now possess some amazing tools to remedy them that I would love to share with you in my “Happy Hips Hatha” workshop on July 25. 

In this workshop you will learn about:

1.       Basic anatomy of the hip and pelvis 

2.       Patterns of movement of the hips, pelvis and spine

3.       Strengthening muscles that are typically weak

4.       Range of motion of the hip joint, its connection to the pelvis, low back, and leg muscles as well as its connection to low back problems

5.       Application of hip range of motion exercises in yoga

I hope to see you there!

Namaste!

Petra Beals