My son loves eating Wheat Thins. When he was in elementary school the teachers all knew that. They had a secret stash of Wheat Thins that were always ready. If he seemed to be crashing they’d break the glass and administer them. It always worked.
We all have our go to ways that help calm us and keep us balanced and happy. When stress shows up in our bodies usually it visits the same place first and that becomes our weak link. Mine is my left hip. Pigeon pose is my solution and salvation.
At first I absolutely despised this pose. It was almost unbearable. But my teacher encouraged me to get curious. Why was that? Why so much resistance to it? My hips were tight from lots of sitting but also from other things that were stuck and inflexible in my life.
The formal benefits of pigeon pose are that it elongates the back, opens the hips, groin, hamstrings, and relieves pressure on the lower back and sciatica. Your hips are like the keystone in a building, When things go awry there it affects your entire body and its proper functioning.
Practicing pigeon also open the hips to improve your posture, alignment and overall flexibility. Who doesn’t want all of that? Open hips also release the negative feelings and energy from your system. I always say your hips are like that junk drawer in your house, storing stress, tension and anxiety. Pigeon is a great clearing out of all that negative junk stored in your body.
Gradually, as I continued to be curious and practice more, pigeon became my most cherished pose. Rarely a day goes by without me practicing pigeon. It seems to reach a place that I need to keep opening so I can get grounded in my body and in my life.
What pose does that for you? Let me know and we can explore it next week.
Be well,
Alice Dommert
deliver me wellness
alice@delivermewellness.com
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