Yoga and Emotions

Have you ever felt a sudden overflow of emotions during a yoga class?

Maybe you felt like crying, laughing, or experienced and intense surge of anger.

This might happen, and many people experience emotional release practicing yoga, especially when they do poses that target the hips.

Hips might hold a lot of tension. It happens because of the lifestyles that most of us have, as well as because of stress and unprocessed traumas, unresolved emotions that we might not be aware of or trying to suppress. 

The hips are also considered to be a place where we store emotion, especially those that we are trying to hide deep inside, like anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness. 

When we do yoga poses that stretch and open the hips, we release both physical and emotional tension.

On the energetic level, the hips are connected to the second sacral chakra, which is the center of our creativity, sexuality, and emotions. When we are moving, releasing the stuckness, we are creating space for energy to flow freely and for healing to occur. We are also accessing deeper layers of our subconscious mind, where we may find memories, thoughts or feelings that we have suppressed or ignored.

Some of the yoga poses that can trigger emotional release in the hips are:

💗 Butterfly pose

Butterfly Pose is a classic hip opener. It is also called Bound Angle Pose or Baddha Konasana in Sanskrit.

• To practice Butterfly Pose you might want to sit on a cushion or folded blanket. This increases comfort and makes it easier to sit up straight.
• Place your feet as close to your hips as feels comfortable to your joints. To increase the intensity of the stretch, position your feet closer to your hips.
• You might want to place cushions or blocks under your thighs or knees for more comfort.
• Begin in a seated position, bringing the soles of the feet together and allowing the knees to fall to the sides.
• This pose is a gentle hip opener that can help release grief, loss, and loneliness.

💗 Pigeon pose

Pigeon is a hip-opening pose that stretches hips and lower back. Sanskrit name for Pigeon Pose is Kapotasana.

• The leg extended back gets a stretch of the hip flexors and the psoas muscle.
• The rotators and outer hip are stretched on the side of the bended leg.
• If the full expression of the pose feels uncomfortable for your knees, you can choose to do half-pigeon pose or reclining pigeon.
• This pose is an effective hip opener, and it can help release fear, anxiety, and elevate the mood.

💗 Frog pose

Frog pose, also known in Sanskrit as Mandukasana, can open your hips and groin muscles, increase circulation, and improve posture.

• Frog pose can help release the chronic muscle tightness, and with regular practicing this pose can help to improve mobility and flexibility in the hips.
• This pose stretches hip flexors, loosens muscles in the back, and might help on releasing low back pain.
• The frog stretch helps improve circulation in the pelvic floor.
• This pose might help reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
• This pose is a deep groin opener that can stimulate the sacral chakra and release sexual trauma, shame, or guilt.

💗 Lizard pose

Lizard Pose, or Utthan Pristhasana in Sanscrit, is a yoga pose that opens up your hips.

• Lizard Pose targets the inner hip, stretches hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps.
• This pose can help alleviate low back pain, release tension in your hips and low back.
• Stretching and strengthening hips and hamstrings, can help improve balance and flexibility.
• The pose might help reduce stress, release anger and frustration, improve focus and increase creativity.

If you experience intense emotions in any of these poses, just allow yourself to feel them. Don’t judge, don’t try to change anything – stay fully present, be in the moment, connecting with the sensations of your breath.