Every time we sit, walk or stand, the muscles and ligaments of our hips, groin and hamstrings are contracting, shortening and reducing our flexibility. Opening these joints and muscles can be some of the most challenging and rewarding work of your yoga practice.
Hip opening postures help establish a strong foundation for both skeletal and muscular structural alignment. They also protect and strengthen the back and sacro-illiac regions. This is the foundation to comfortably maintain good posture -- which not only means that you stand well, but includes better digestion and easier breathing. Longer inner groin muscles can help students deepen their practice of backbends, fowardbends, twists, and arm balances. The energy flow around the entire abdominal and hip regions becomes more fluid and accessible. Similarly, there is a direct correlation between open hips and breath that flows freely.
Opening and lengthening the groin muscles helps to protect the knees. Often, if people have trouble with their ankles, knees, and/or lower back, they can focus on opening and lengthening their inner groin and on stabilizing their outer hips in order to create better alignment. The better the alignment, the less likely possibility for injury.
Cara's three-hour workshop is a methodical approach to giving you greater mobility in the hips, full extension through the groin, and greater length in the hamstrings -- resulting in deeper forward and backward bends, and more importantly, easing and stabilizing your walking locomotion and standing posture. In addition, the three-hour course enables you to learn more about your anatomy, fundamental preparatory poses, and standing or supine poses that stretch and open the hips and groin. You can then use the openings to attempt more advanced poses where appropriate. Best of all, this three-hour workshop is open to all levels.