This week has been the week of a neutral pelvis. Confusing, right?

Here is the background for what we are about to delve in the following weeks:

To improve hip mobility and range of motion, we first need to build awareness of how we are moving in our lower body: is it a pure range of motion through the hips, or a compensation pattern where we change the position of our pelvis to compensate for poor hip mobility?

Once we are able to distinguish between the two, we then focus on eliminating compensations, and developing a better range of motion in the hips.

Why is this so important? I mean who cares if I twisted my pelvis in a Tree pose, or arched my back in Warrior 2? What does it matter if my back is rounded or straight in a forward bend?

First off, most yoga injuries are repetitive: repeating a poor movement pattern time and time again will eventually lead to a break down somewhere in the system.  Been there, done that – not so much fun, I promise.

Second, and much more important, is that compensations and poor movement patterns aren’t limited to the yoga mat. And, as far as hips go, just about any movement we perform daily – sitting, standing, walking, bending (and yes, even pooping)  - are all heavily dependent on a healthy range of motion in the hips.

If your muscles don’t know how to articulate movement through your hip joints when walking, you will shuffle, swivel your pelvis around the spine, and do all sorts of unhealthy, injurious movements to propel yourself forward, all the while hurting your knees and back. Eeeks! And what if you decided to get more active and go for those 10,000 steps a day?

Have an excellent weekend, and go for a walk!