Essentials of Safe Hip Opening

Hip openers are among the most satisfying and powerful yoga poses. They hold a tremendous potential for transformation; they can help us release deep-seated tension and trauma of the past, which many of us hold locked in the hip area.

When practiced correctly, hip openers are a great way to soothe both mind and body; they offer a gateway to that inner sanctuary of peace and harmony that is the ultimate goal of yoga.

Hip openers need to be approached with great care and awareness, however. It's not unusual for students to enthusiastically take up yoga, only to find that, over time, their practice injures their hips - in some cases so severely that they have to give up -- or drastically reduce their practice.

A big part of the problem is a lack of awareness of the nature and needs of our hips, as well as a lack of awareness of the warning signs of a problem. There are great variations in how our hips are built. And the same asanas, actions and instructions in yoga are not necessarily 'good' for everyone's hips across the board. Moreover, what we do most easily in yoga is not always what is best for us, and can promote wear, tear and injury.

In this recorded webinar, popular Yoga U Online teacher Doug Keller goes into fundamental principles of yoga alignment as they pertain to the health of the hip joints. He covers a number of the quintessential and foundational 'hip' opening yoga poses, upon which you can build your own practice according to your own needs and abilities. The webinar also focuses on how to help students making the fastest progress with hip opening, while minimizing the risk of injury or long-term wear and tear.

What You Will Learn:

• The key signs to look for in yourself or students, which may indicate variations in your hip structure that could lead to trouble, if you're not aware of them

•  Common postural habits that undermine the health of the hip joint and how to counteract them

• Key principles of alignment for safe practice of the quintessential hip openers in yoga

• How to tailor the basic actions for opening and extending the hips to the structure of your own hips

• How to recognize the warning signs of hip strain - before something goes wrong!                                                                                                                    

This Premium Course Also Includes These Bonuses!                     

• Yoga Practice Video: Enjoy a video Doug created especially for this course which illustrates the key points of alignment and practice discussed in the webinar.

• Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of both webinar sessions (both MP3 and MP4), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.

• Transcripts of Both Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.        

• Question and Answers: A compilation of questions posed to Doug during the webinar and his answers. 

This course qualifies for 3 non-contact hour CEs with Yoga Alliance.