I went to a hip-opener workshop today at Thrive Yoga with Susan Bowen. The two and a half hour session is the third one that I've taken from her, a sign of her commitment to addressing this need and my own recognition that my hips are tight. I've been "working on my hips" for the past two years, and I can see only marginal improvements. I still cannot get into easy pose Sukasana without a support under my hips; otherwise, my knees are above my waist. Like most Westerners, I've spent all my life seated in a chair, as opposed to on the ground; I am a man so my anatomy is less flexible than a woman; finally, my professional bondage to a computer means that I spend too much time seated in front of a keyboard and monitor.
I think that my lack of progress is due to the fact that it's not just a hip problem. It's a kind of muscular knot that tangles together my whole core, legs, hips, abs, spine, and even my shoulders, ensnaring both strength and flexibility. Focusing exclusively on the hips is not going to fix it. It's not going to get better until the whole problem is corrected.
So until then, I just accept it as the state in which my body is, and get back on the mat. At least now I enjoy half pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana).
