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HW: Special Cases
Special cases for tight hips:
Tight hips are a very common special case when it comes to people practicing yoga and going into certain postures. This tightness can be caused by trauma, different bone structures, and also from potential injuries. The trauma aspect, which is very common, is important for practitioners to keep in mind as some poses may be especially triggering for those with sexual trauma. It is important for teachers to be mindful of the impact and to keep a safe space for students to feel comfortable experiencing body locations that may be extra sensitive. It may be good for teachers to share this information with their students to normalize the impacts of trauma and share the beautiful benefits of processing these things through yogic practices. It can also be beneficial to share with students about the corresponding chakras, which include the root and sacral chakras that impact our sense of security as well as our ability to flow with life and express our creativity.
It is important for teachers to consistently be mindful of any physical limitations that students may have, such as inflexibility in the hips, so that the asana are accessible for all.
Butterfly Pose: Butterfly pose can be modified for tight hips in a few ways to help students become more comfortable with it. One place to start may be by having the student sit on a pillow or folded blanket to bring a little coziness and elevate the hips, if that feels good to them. We can then begin to modify the pose by placing blocks, books, or pillows under each knee, so as to not allow them to fully drop. Allowing the knees to spread open in a more subtle way allows the student to experience some stretch in the hips without becoming too painful or uncomfortable. To start, the student may want to keep their torso extending up, however, with time they may want to explore bending forward and may start by placing the hands on the earth or support, then by allowing the forehead to rest on a block/stack of books. With time, as the student is able to find the edge between discomfort and ease, showing the body that it is safe to open up and relax, the props can be lessened/made smaller, until the student is comfortable with their deepest expression of the pose and eventually maybe feeling comfortable to bend forward and drop the forehead to the feet.
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