Tani-Sue

Hello Gabrielle!

I think you’re right – I definitely feel frustrated that my hips won’t open the way I want them to, and that MUST affect them even more negatively! The instructor that I always talk to at my studio here in Winnipeg keeps telling me to be patient and to just breathe into it – and I am honestly trying to do that… I think it’s because I’m a perfectionist, and instead of just letting myself be in the moment I’m thinking, thinking, thinking the whole time about how I can get my hips/low back/pelvis to open up – and about what I might be doing wrong that’s preventing my progress…

My lower back (and I think my pelvic area) are very tight all the time actually – when I do back twists during the class it feels very tight and uncomfortable – but I keep trying to do it (I stop at pain though) – even when I’m sitting at my desk and I do twists thoughout the day to loosen up it feels very tight… I am able to bend over quite easily and touch the floor with my whole hands without bending my legs, so in that regard my hips are pretty flexible – but anything in a sideways type of movement (tree etc…) is very stiff… I find that in many positions I have a tendency to “pelvic tilt” instead of pushing my sits bones up towards the ceiling – I try to do this, but it just doesn’t feel natural – it’s like my pelvis always wants to go forward instead of backwards and it’s cememted that way… and I wonder if this is part of my overall problem? My instructor has suggested using a yoga block under the edge of my bum so that I’m almost falling off the front of it to get my lower back and pelvic area to open up more towards the back ceiling (during wide-legged bends) – and I haven’t tried this, but next class that’s the plan…

Well, I just wanted to give you some further details about my issue since you asked – I am making every effort to just enjoy the practice and the moment – and maybe eventually that will help!

Thanks again for this great great thing you do Gabrielle!!!

Hi Gabrielle – funny you should ask about what other poses… last night during class I was particularly working on trying to really stretch out my leg behind me (during runner’s lunge) – our teacher always says to really stretch out your back leg and then even more and try to imagine that the sole of your foot it pressing against a wall so that only the ball of your foot is on the floor and the rest of your foot is straight up and down (sort of tricky to explain!) and it was really quite uncomfortable for my knees to do this – painful is actually the correct word! It felt totally wrong to me, and I had to put my knee to the floor (on both sides) – maybe this is because of knee weakness? Or maybe I’m just not “built” for that pose?

With regards to “locking the knee” – I had read that post earlier on, but I just re-read it, and that makes total sense (to use the muscles in the upper legs to lift the knee cap, but not make the knee press backwards) – so that’s my mission for tonight!

Sometimes it’s just hard to know if a pose is uncomfortable because of the “newness” of the experience to my body, or maybe the fact that I’m not quite ready, you know? A journey – that’s for sure!

A happy day to you! Thanks again for your quick and so very helpful responses!