Strong and stable: yoga for core and hips
12I believe that most of the readers of this blog are in the “householder” stage of life (roughly between the ages of 25 and 65), which means that we are busy with families and careers. And according to the yoga tradition, strength and stability at this stage are not defined as muscular arms or 6-pack abs, but as an ability to withstand change, both internal and external. This is only possible if you have a strong core, literally and figuratively.
As we discussed last week, bringing habitual movement patterns into our yoga practice can make it destabilizing and even potentially harmful. Today we will focus on correcting those patterns (release valves) in some of the most common yoga poses. We will look at
- Using abdominal contraction to support the lower back and avoid exaggerated lumbar curve
- Engaging muscles to support the body in poses instead of “hanging” on the joints
- Keeping the head in line with the spine to avoid neck tension
- Keeping the shoulders away from the ears to avoid shoulder/neck/upper back tension
- Positioning the chest away form the belly to get the most out of side bends and forward bends.
Try this practice, Yoga for Core and Hips, to develop stability and strength and let us know what you think!
Join Sequence Wiz to customize this practice to your liking. Choose your poses, enter the instructions and you are done! See it in action >
Thanks for this, Olga! I guess I will stop trying for those 6-pack abs…..but if I know you this one might burn a little, too 😉
Ha, ha, may be just a little 🙂
So much information to absorb. Thank you for sharing.
Hello, Olga. My name is Olga as well and I am from Moscow, Russia 🙂
I am RYT200. I have a question regarding Bridge pose, #16 in your sequence. You said that it is necessary to keep the neck long and on the floor and even to tuck the chin in. When 5 years ago I was taking classes in Moscow I also remember that the teacher said the same. But when I studied Yoga in US the teacher said to lift the chin slightly away from your sternum and in classes I take now the teacher also keeps saying to keep the neck above the floor.
I like your approach, your manner of explaining and demonstrating and I would appreciate your reply.
Namaste.
Olga
Hi Olga! Thank you for your comment! I am so happy that I am being heard in my native Russia! I am super curious what the yoga situation is over there, so if you ever want to share, I’d love to hear it. To your question: yep, I heard it both ways, and I do not know the reasoning for maintaining the cervical curve in Bridge. May be they are worried about the disks? If so, I believe that it’s unfounded. In my tradition we use Bridge to stretch the muscles along the spine, including those on the back of the neck. It is a much milder and safer version then a Shoulderstand, for example. Of course, you don’t want to shrug the shoulders while you are there. It is a concern that we spend a lot of time every day looking down at our phones, etc, which can overstretch and weaken the muscles on the back of the neck. But that also means that the muscles of the upper back will be super tight trying to support the weight of the head. So in the course of the practice we would do things like Cobra to strengthen the upper back and back of the neck, and things like Bridge to stretch them afterwards. Always this combo “contract-relax-stretch”. So that’s my reasoning – does it make sense? I would be curious to hear other teacher’s reasoning if you ever ask her (him).
Thank you for the reply, Olga! You explained it very well 🙂 and for me it makes sense.
I’ve been living in US, in Columbia, SC, for 4 years and as for the yoga situation in Russia I can only say how it was 4-5 years ago. Regular classes I was taking there are considered a powerful yoga here in US 🙂
I really like your site and found a lot of very useful information here. Especially for my gentle classes I teach. Your manner of presenting is both accessible and professional. And your personality is very pleasant. Znai nashih 🙂
Thank you very much.
Olga ~ I want to thank you for your Virtual Yoga Studio videos, most of which I have tried practicing daily for the last several weeks. I am finding that they help to align and strengthen my body in a way that is a very good counterbalance to the healing work I do in warm water. The aquatic practice requires me to shift between a wide stance and lunge while supporting someone in float position and taking their body through all kinds of movements and stretches. For them it is passive exercise and very helpful for loosening joints and reminding the body of its capacity for flowing movement. Meanwhile, I need to be both strong and fluid in my own movements, maintaining a supported core, and staying grounded despite the buoyant environment. Your sequencing is perfect. Thank you so much for your commitment and your generosity in sharing.
Hi Olga, I have only just found your site and this is the first class I’ve done with you, I loved it thank you (it was quite strong, I feel very “worked” now but I don’t hurt anywhere). I’ve just started a teacher training course in the viniyoga tradition in England so am really happy to have found your site and really enjoying working my way through it. It looks as if it’s going to be a brilliant resource. Thank you x
I’m having difficulty on #15. No matter how much I bend my knees, my chest is always floating away from them. I can get into the child’s pose with no issue. Is that a good substitute or should I let my chest float?
Hi Pinkie! As long as you lengthen your spine along the legs, it’s OK if your chest doesn’t touch the thighs. You can prop up the chest with a blanket if you like for more support.
Hi Olga.
I have benefitted enormously from using your sequences regularly, over the last few years, beginning when I experienced considerable pain and discomfort in my hips. Gradually the weak muscles strengthened and I am now mostly pain free!
I am so grateful to you for this but also for your teaching; the focus on breath, the pace of the lessons, your concise and well timed instruction and also your wonderful generosity in sharing.
You are a blessing. Thank you from a 73 year old who believed she was destined to experience pain for the remainder of her days.
Namaste.
Thank you Olga for this beautiful practice. You are my most reliable anchor and goto place for all my yoga needs. Sending you lots of gratitude.
Namaste
Anjani