You try to do yoga but your hips tighten up, or you have low back pain with no direct cause. Your hips are trying to tell you something, and you can give them what they need through gentle hip opening yoga poses. I invite you to join me as I explain how to release hip tension after trauma, poses for effective relief, and extra tips to guide you toward trauma release.
How Do You Store Emotions And Trauma In Your Hips?
It may seem strange how an emotional trauma can manifest in your body. It can be explained by how you repeatedly tense your muscles.
You may hold your body a certain way after triggers or from constantly being on guard (hyper-vigilance). Maybe you clench your jaw, hunch your shoulders, or tense your hip muscles. Overtime, this creates tension in your body and eventually leads to pain if not processed or released.
What’s interesting is how releasing trauma in one area can even lead to other areas finding release. This study explored that when people release tension in their jaw (usually from anger), hips experienced an increase in mobility as well. Your body and mind are connected, and many yogis (myself included) have had experiences where releasing tension has also resulted in releasing emotions.
Related Post: 6 Hidden Emotions That Cause Hip Tension
Understanding Your Hip Anatomy
Your hips are a ball and socket joint, meaning you can create movement in many directions (circular movement). When yoga teachers say hip opening, we mean we are stretching parts of our hips that may be stiff. Yoga has many hip opening poses to help you gain mobility, stretch and release hip tension.
It’s important to also stretch the muscles surrounding your hips to create a balance in your practice. I welcome you to add poses that include twists, stretching your hamstrings, psoas muscles, and low back.
Related Post: 7 Yoga Poses For Deep Psoas Trauma Release
Signs You Have Tight Hips
How we move within the world has a direct impact on our bodies. Just like runners can develop knee injuries from repetitive movements, the way you hold and use your hips can cause more tension.
If you’re repeatedly putting your hip muscles into a shortened position, other muscles begin to compensate. An example of this is that you have low back pain from this area compensating for tight hips. Here are some signs you may have tight hips and could benefit from a tension release class.
- Sedentary lifestyle. If you sit at a desk for most of the day or do little physical activity
- Lower back or knee pain. These are potential signs other parts of your body are compensating for weak or tight hips.
- Weak core muscles
- Holding tension from trauma
- You have an active lifestyle, but rarely stretch (especially your hips)
This is not a medical diagnosis or definitive list, but meant to provide you insight to see if you need to do more research on this topic or reach out to your medical team.
Now that we understand more about your hips and tension, let’s investigate how this affects your chakras. Yoga philosophy is a better way to understand how a hip tension release can also release emotions.
Chakras and Your Hips
Your hips are part of your sacral chakra region, located in your lower belly and lumbar spine area. This is an emotional energy center that governs your sexuality and creativity.
A blockage in your sacral chakra causes:
- Powerful emotions of anger and fear
- Feeling disconnected from others
- Low back pain
Sacral and root chakras are the most common energy centers affected by sexual trauma.
Since this is a powerful energy center in your body, unblocking this chakra can also cause powerful emotions to release. How can you work with your chakras? The most effective way is through a consistent yoga practice.
Many hip opening postures in yoga directly work with your sacral and root chakras. I invite you to read about four simple poses that relieve hip tension and also target your root and sacral chakras.
Related Post: How to Unblock Your 7 Chakras After Sexual Trauma: Your Ultimate Guide
4 Yoga Poses To Release Hip Tension After Trauma
For many sexual trauma survivors, doing any yoga pose that exposes the pelvis may be triggering. I’ve only included yoga poses that give you a wonderful stretch without risking this trigger.
You’re always welcome to skip any poses that don’t serve your practice, or even place a blanket over you to provide safety and comfort. Feel free to add any additional props to make this the most comforting pose for you.
Reclined Pigeon/ Figure Four Stretch (Sucirandhrasana)
- From a comfortable lying down position, I invite you to bring both soles of your feet flat to the mat. In your time, cross your right ankle over your left knee.
- You can either stay in this shape, or energetically think of pressing your right knee away from you (This prevents you from pressing on your knee which may be harmful.)
- You also have the option to gently grab behind your left thigh or shin, reeling in your legs closer to your chest.
- You might explore pressing your low back into the mat, and keeping slight engagement in your right foot (flexing). I invite you to keep soft shoulders until you are ready to release.
- Gently release in your time and repeat on the other side.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
This stretches the same muscles as the figure four stretch, but may be less accessible depending on your anatomy. I included both so you could explore which one you prefer.
- Begin in tabletop position
- When you’re ready, I invite you to glide your right knee behind your right wrist. Gently slide your left knee back to your level of comfort, and gently lower onto your right leg.
- You’re welcome to adjust your right shin to your comfort level (it does not need to be parallel with the short edge of the mat).
- I welcome you to square your hips and see if your back foot extends straight (without veering left or right).
- From here, you can explore either staying upright using your arms to lift you, or gently lower to your forearms or to the mat. You could explore resting your forehead on your hands or using a block to support your head.
- Remain here for a few breaths or as long as you like, perhaps using each exhale to soften tension in your shoulders, jaw and hips. Repeat on the other side when you’re ready.
Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
- I invite you to find a comfortable seated position, gently bringing the soles of your feet to touch.
- As you adjust to your comfort level, maybe you explore elongating through your spine
- I welcome you to have slight energy in your feet as they press into each other, and you are welcome to experiment with how close/far you wish to have your feet in proximity to your body.
- You have the option to massage your feet, rest your hands where you choose, and experiment with hinging forward from your hips.
- You may wish to add a blanket or bolster under your seat to provide more length in your spine. Once you are comfortable, you might explore rounding forward for a more restorative fold.
- I invite you to stay here as long as you choose, or for 4 breaths.
Deer Pose (Mrigasana)
- I invite you to start in butterfly (baddha konasana), seated position.
- In your time, I invite you to send your right leg out behind you
- You might wish to explore adjusting the placement of your knees until you find a comfortable level of stretch (hips and low back).
- I welcome you to focus on grounding both of your hips, or perhaps adding a bolster or blanket underneath you to bring you more comfort.
- Remain here as long as you choose or for a few breaths.
- Repeat when you choose on the other side.
Quick Tips For More Effective Release
I welcome you to explore these optional tips to deepen your practice and promote trauma release.
- I welcome you to create a goal that doesn’t solely focus on experiencing a release. It’s normal to have one, as well as to not have one. I welcome you to make your goal related to self-care, the practice itself. This will prevent disappointment if you don’t have a release – it’s totally normal!
- Affirmations may help. For our bodies to release, we must first release our minds. I welcome you to include an affirmation that may help you unwind. Here are some affirmations to explore or to inspire your own:
- I choose to release
- It is safe to let go
- I am safe
- A friendly reminder that the best affirmations are the ones that are true to you in the moment. This means that if you don’t feel safe, the last affirmation may not be the best choice. You have full choice over your practice.
- It’s tempting to chase sensation, but I welcome you to go easy on your body. You don’t need to be uncomfortable to stretch your muscles and release tension, and sensation isn’t the only goal of a yoga practice. This means that it’s okay if you skip poses that don’t suit your body. You never need to force yourself into a shape that isn’t working for you.
- Journal before your practice. Sometimes, emotions can arise before the practice even starts with journaling. This may help you settle into your practice, release emotions, or clear your mind before starting.
- Your practice doesn’t need to revolve around your trauma. Trauma-informed yoga provides a welcoming atmosphere for people with different backgrounds. It doesn’t directly work with your trauma (like how a therapist would). This means that you decide what your practice is about. If it feels too heavy to focus your attention on your trauma, I welcome to explore support options. Your yoga practice can remain a wonderful addition to your self-care routine if you choose.
Overview
I invite you to take all the time you need when stretching your hips and be aware that you may experience strong emotions when experiencing a release. This is normal, and you’re doing powerful work. Thank you for reading and take good care on your healing journey.
