Perhaps the most important concept that I teach my students is the idea of reducing compensation. Reducing compensatory movement patterns has such a significant impact on recovery and healing. So much so, that I can quite comfortably say that my clients who have re-learned how to move well have made gains faster than those who don’t. It can be somewhat mind blowing.
Learning to move well requires 3 things:
- Awareness of how you are moving/breathing
- Noticing when and how you compensate
- Reducing the compensating
I ask my students to practice this way only when they are on their yoga mat. I ask them to not worry about the rest of their life, just move as they move. If they practice diligently on their mat, it will bubble over.
Your Exercise: Exploring when and how you compensate
Legs up the Wall is a fantastic exercise to settle the back and soothe tired feet. It is also a great way to explore the movement of your hips and gain awareness of where you are tight and where you are mobile. I will show you how to integrate this awareness to improve your mobility and overall function.
This type of movement is really helpful for people who have had surgery close to the pelvis – prostate, uterus, bladder, colon – since the tissue can become adhesed post-surgery. By improving the movement of your hips, you will stand taller, and feel less compressed. And, if you have any strain or pain in your back, better movement of the hips can reduce aches and pains in the back.
Here is the video – [ts_aws_video mp4=”CSS/Legs Up the Wall_720″]
Until next week,
Susi