Move it!

[clevermanka]

After starting the morning off with a very unsettled and nervous-making situation (details withheld, sorry), I am an a good mood right now and it feels awesome. Yay!

I went to yoga class last night for the first time in forever. Gopi has classes on Thursday night at the Zen Center in Lawrence now. But the space isn't much bigger than her studio in Baldwin and last night there were eight or nine people. It was pretty crowded. Also, most of the people in the class are kind of shitty. Hardly anyone stuck around to help remove the yoga stuff and put back the dozen or so zabutons. Hardly anyone = me and three other people, one of whom is Gopi's sister so of course she's gonna help. It took us nearly twenty minutes to get everything put away. If everyone in the class had helped to carry out one item, it would've taken five minutes, tops. Anyway. It's a short session--only five classes--so if I decide it's not working for me, I'm not stuck for too long. I love Gopi. I don't like being in a crowded class with annoying people.

My hip joints are getting less flexible. I've never had a wide range of motion there, but it's definitely more resistant to movement now. My Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend) is so restricted I don't feel a stretch in the muscles unless someone is pulling my hands forward. I need to find different ways to open up that joint. Just doing the pose isn't helping. It's one I do nearly every day (even when I'm not exercising regularly) and it's steadily getting worse, not better. Yeah yeah age blah blah whatever. I'm not losing joint flexibility without a fight--if I have to lose it at all.

And speaking of hips! Those of you who're interested in taking an intro bellydance class from one of the best dancers around: M'chelle DeMars is teaching an introductory tribal fusion bellydance class on Monday, January 18 at Point B Dance Studio. The class starts at 5:30 p.m. and costs $8.

I'm hoping she gets a ton of people. I'd love for M'chelle to have a regularly scheduled dance class in Lawrence.



Seven and a half hours and counting until that three-day weekend starts. Mmm. Yeah. Bring it!

Comments

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

Upavistha Konasana is one of the positions my yogini is helping me with on Sundays. Maybe I could show you some of the stuff we've been doing Monday at your place!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

That would be fantastic! Thank you!

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

Crowded yoga = BOO. BOOOOO.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know. I was gonna call you when I got home, but figured I would post about it anyway and you'd find out that way.

I want my own studio where I can have her teach a class for the select chosen few.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

That would be an awesome class.

[rougewench.livejournal.com]

In what manner do you want to open the joint? Are you looking for more flexibility in opening your legs, or are you looking for more flexibility in rolling your pelvis forward in that position?


D.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm more interested in the basic joint movement, whichever that is.

I'm hoping the fact that miischelle's instructor is specifically targeting that same area with her, that she'll be able to give me some good tips.

[rougewench.livejournal.com]

A place to start would be to spend some time each day on your back and letting your legs drop open to the sides naturally, and then let gravity work for about 5 minutes or however long you can stand. The weight of your legs will work to pull the joint open laterally.

That direction of flexibility has always been a difficult one for me comparatively as well, as it seemed that my pelvis would literally only allow so much movement no matter how flexible the muscles ever got. I was easily into oversplits in both of the other directions, but could never do a full "chinese" split (as they were called when I was a gymnast).

Here's hoping that regaining at least what flexibility you had will go easily and smoothly for you.


D.

my 2cents

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

Some things to think about hip mobility: You might consider active stretches, like mountain climbers, as an assistance exercise. Active mobility translates well into passive but not always the other way round. Often mobility is limited by instability in the next joint in the motive chain, in this case the knee. If you have knee insatiability, it can limit hip mobility (tho usually when standing). You can help this by taking the knee out of the equation, usually by bending it. Mobility can be limited by the previous joint in the chain (lumbar spine). This seems a bit more likely. The lumbar is much harder to remove from the chain, but the assistance exercises to strengthen it are universally beneficial. If you want examples of these just ask.

Re: my 2cents

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Consider me asking.

I have very stable (but flexible) knees. My back, as far as I know, is fine.

My hip joints are very flexible in Supta Baddha Konasana (less so in upright Baddha Konasana, though) , Kapotasana, and Prasarita Padottanasana. The last one is a particular oddity since it's basically Upavistha Konasana--just standing up.

I'd be very interested in another of your two cents.

Re: my 2cents

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

based on the above info I would say your best bet is GHR's (glute ham raise). This exercise is a Pig Biting Bitch™ and difficult to even find a good place to do. most gym's don't have a clue what it is, let alone have the piece of equipment. It is the most effective posterior chain builder out there, except the Dead-lift (and I dont see you doing any of those anytime soon). There are also Romanian dead-lifts, Good-mornings, stiff legged deads... but all of these require equipment. The GHR can be done with body weight alone... I gotta go to the gym now here's a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne_pPfxb-_8&NR=1 to some guy. With some creativity, or a partner you can figure out how to do one at home... more later.

Re: my 2cents

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oooh! I actually love that exercise! I didn't know the name of it. I've never done it coming all the way up like that, though. I've just done it to a horizontal line on a Roman Chair.

Sadly, it doesn't look like anything that can be rigged up with the TRX. I'll ask mckitterick if he has any configuration ideas.

Thank you!

Back from som GHR's of my own

[femfataleatron.livejournal.com]

basically you need some way to secure your lower leg to the ground and counter your body weight. The guy in the video has a mechanical advantage because the pad provides spring and changes the fulcrum point of his lever... Type GHR into youtube and you'll see plenty of examples of people figuring out this problem. One raised glute bridges like I showed you at the faire are pretty good but dont allow for the potential resistance (unless you have sandbags). Tho I used to do glute bridges under a barbell when I was fighting...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

One raised glute bridges like I showed you at the faire are pretty good but dont allow for the potential resistance

I'll just start with those, then, until I think I need to step it up. Thanks!

[bestill.livejournal.com]

Oh, that belly dancing class looks interesting. Where is that studio?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

The address is on the poster...I've never been to it.

[bestill.livejournal.com]

Yeah, after I clicked on the picture, I could see the address.It's on 6th st, past Wakarusa.

[yavaphun.livejournal.com]

One I m a guy but hip openers are my bane. My legs are fine my back and shoulders but my hips they aint going to open anymore. That and my Iyengar instructor left and is no longer teaching. So for months I have had no place to go. Just do not have the chemistry with the others. She was great had the heart of a drill sgt with a great smile.

Good Luck but I can already smell spring.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. It sucks when you lose your teacher.

Also, that is a false smell. Trust me. More snow is coming. Inevitably.

[scarletfaewind.livejournal.com]

I find that it is my outer hip muscles that keeping my hip flexibility down for any forward bend. I like to use eka pada rajakapotasana and/or agnistambhasana before hand. After that my hips can rotate a lot easier to allow for poses like upavistha konasana.

hope this helps!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I do Eka Pada Rajakapotasana every morning. My main cardio activity is a stationary bike, so I gotta keep my eye on those hip flexors.

Agnistambhasana is a new one to me, though. Wow, it looks great! Thank you!