As a registered Kinesiologist and C-IAYT Yoga Therapist Trainer, I get this question a LOT.
There can be such a tug of war -- between the desire to do your favourite “hip openers” and go for a deep, juicy stretch that makes you feel better…
… And the consistent persistent pain in your hips and lower back which makes you think, "Hey, maybe this yoga isn't all that good for me."
You can’t help but wonder if there’s a way to do your practice without pain and actually feel better instead of the same or even worse!
Many yoga classes speak about the benefits of "hip opening" and "better hip function".
Yet surprisingly, the most common injuries in yoga are related to the hips - back pain, QL (quadratus lumborum) issues, piriformis syndrome, labrum tears, SI Joint and knee issues, and more.
This begs the question - what are we actually doing in yoga?
It is a mind boggling, to consider the number of yoga teachers who have tension, tightness, aches or pain in their hips and shrug their shoulders and say, "that’s just the way it is".
But that’s not true. There is another way.
However, most yoga teachers don’t know how to teach you how to do that.
That’s because most 200-hour and 500-hour yoga teacher training programs don't show teachers how to help their students improve their hip function.
In fact, most of the cues and modifications that are taught will increase hip dysfunction!
I’m talking about cues such as:
"Soften your bum!"
"Relax your glutes!"
"Contract your glutes!"
"Use mula bandha!"
"Contract your pelvic floor!"
"Pull your knee caps up!"
"Lift your arches!"
"Flatten your back!"
"Core tight!"
"Pull your navel to the spine!"
"Knit your ribs in!"
"Draw abdominals In and Up!"
"Lengthen your tailbone!"
"Square your hips!"
"DON’T square your hips!"
. . . sound familiar?
When applied incorrectly, all of those cues will cause way more problems than they solve!
I have worked with thousands of yoga teachers over the years who have tried “everything” to improve how they move their bodies during their practice (not to mention their daily life) and to get out of pain once and for all.
To help them – and you, if you find yourself in the same frustrating situation – I have created a 2-hour online program designed to teach you how to move through the classic key yoga poses in a way that honours and improves your hips.
[Online training]
We'll walk through key yoga poses – including triangle, halfmoon and warrior 1, and warrior 2 – and I will show not only where those poses break down, but how to use them correctly to build yourself up.
This two-hour video training will always be available for you, so you can come back and review the teachings whenever you want.
I have a BSC. Kinesiology and have been helping people reduce and eradicate pain for 25 years. I have also been a bridge between the medical world and yoga. Two of my programs have been studied at the University of Calgary and both showed benefit for supporting people and their wellbeing. I am also the author and presenter of I Love Anatomy and The Power of Pure Movement: Hips.
I have been training teachers and health professionals in yoga therapy since 2001 and am the lead teacher in the highly successful C-IAYT Accredited Functional Synergy Yoga Therapy Program.
As a young student of yoga, I began to combine the ancient practices of yoga with my BSc. Kinesiology at a Vancouver pain clinic. When I continued to encounter individuals, including yoga instructors, who accepted that their pain was “normal”, I began to explore how yoga was being taught and practiced. By designing therapy programs that utilized sound anatomical principles of kinesiology with the time-honoured practices of gentle yoga, I have enabled people to find pain relief, feel good, and rediscover vitality in their lives.
"I was one of those teachers who thought pain was normal. After learning from Susi, I felt different - almost weird - because I had no pain".
I've been practicing all the principles + after doing a 60-90 minute practices all week + moving w/ease + breath, I feel like I’ve just been moving + breathing, I don’t feel like I’ve “practiced.” Prior to this course usually something is hurting, strained, overused, but I’ve interpreted it as “I’ve worked out.” It’s just so strange to go thru my day + night “pain free” …..that I feel like I haven’t “done” anything….so my brain is catching up with the novelty that I can do a strong practice + not feel pain. AND I am making progress in areas where I was weak /tight/both or lacked mobility. Hope you understand what I’m saying, it’s just plain weird to not have twinges, tension during or after “practice”. This is how it’s suppose to be….functionalsynergy….?
"Susi is an exceptional coach. If you want to work with one of the best, if you want to work with someone who really wants you to succeed, if you want to work with someone who truly walks the walk and talks the talk, work with Susi. She really knows what she is doing".
A key piece to recovering from pain is becoming aware and getting really clear on what is working and not working.
[Online training]
Copyright - Functional Synergy Inc.
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