Anatomy 101 - the pelvic bowl

BEAUTIFUL BONES
If I were to pick my favourite bone of the human body it would have to be the pelvic bowl. Although I’m not sure it’s a question I’ll get asked very often! This beautiful sculptural bone is the hub of all activity. It houses our reproductive system, lower digestive system, and in the world of yoga, Mula Bandha (energy lock), the Nadis (energy paths) and our Root Chakra Muladhara (energy junctions). All movement in the spine and hip joint is initiated from the pelvis, using a complicated network of muscles leading to and from the pelvis. Tight quads, hip flexors and inner groins pull the pelvic into a forward tilt, referred to as an anterior tilt, which can lead to an over arched lower back (hyperlordosis). Whereas tight hamstrings and glutes pull it into a backwards tilt, called a posterior tilt, which can lead to a flattened lower back (hyperkyphosis). Our pelvis likes to be perfectly stacked over the foundation of our feet, to avoid unnecessary stress on the spine and allow the natural curves of the vertebrae to function properly as a shock absorption system. Moving through our day with hips that are not balanced can bring the spine into a compensatory lateral (side) bend or a twist, potentially leading to back pain, sacroiliac joint pain or any number of referred muscular and joint issues. A strong and balanced pelvis leads to a strong and balanced upper and lower body and a unified body.

EXPLORING THE PELVIC BOWL IN YOUR PRACTICE
Observing the position of the pointy hip bones (the iliac crest) at the front of the pelvis in our practice gives us invaluable feedback on our alignment in each pose. Think of the pelvic as a bowl filled with liquid. In upright standing poses, and even upright seated poses, try keep this bowl perfectly level without spilling a drop – by not tipping the bowl forward, back or tilted to the side.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Connect with your pelvic bowl with this sequence which will focus on the position of your pelvis. Where possible during your practice place your fingertips on the pointy hip bones at the front of your pelvis, or have a glance down at your hips, and check for level hip bones. Hug your outer hips to the midline to activate the strong stabilising muscles of the hips. This feedback will help with your alignment in many poses. Pay particular attention to the position of the pointy hip bones in the six poses below and use these cues to help you find the perfect pose for you.

• Phalakasana/Plank Pose – Often we have a dominant side which might end up higher than the other side in plank. Extend back through the heels and forwards through the tip of your crown to help stabilise the hips. Have a glance under you to see are your hips level.

• Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon – Start by bending your back knee and lifting your pointy hip bones up to stack the pelvis perpendicular to your foundation. Check for level hips with your fingertips and then reach your arms up high.

• Virabhadrasana III/Warrior III – The hip of the lifted leg will most likely lift higher than the standing leg for most people. Check the level of your hips and if needs be lower the lifted leg to less than parallel to the ground if it is destabilising the hips.

• Natarajasana/Lord of the Dance – Using a belt helps to keep the hips level and squared while you find the stretch in the hip flexor. Glance down and make sure the hip of the lifted leg hasn’t drifted back as the leg extends back.

• Dandasana/Staff – When the pelvis tilts back the hip bones will stack above the sit bones. Place your fingertips on your hip bones and make sure they are sitting forward of your sit bones and the bowl of the pelvis is nicely upright.

• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge – Bend your elbow and place your fingertips on your hip bones to check are they level. Keep your fingertips here as you slowly lift your lower leg to hip height. Notice is one side more challenging than the other.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Gentle mindful flow

MOVING MINDFULLY
How might you apply mindfulness to your practice today? The essence of mindfulness is bringing one’s attention to the present moment. Being present on your mat during your practice and moving mindfully will help you link to how you are moving, how you are breathing, and how the practice makes you feel. Slow gentle movement gives you the space to listen to what you need in this specific practice and avoid bypassing sensations and warning signs of pushing beyond your limits. Remember when you start to feel sensation, and not beyond it, is your version of the pose. As you move in this mindful way you become more aware of your breath and how you are breathing during different phases of your time on the mat.

SEARCH FOR FEEDBACK
Sometimes we forget what has brought us to our mats, and it becomes habitual as we detached from our practice. Connecting with the feedback your body gives you, with non attachment to perfection, will bring you back to the present moment in the physical body. Moving slowly is no mean feat! It builds stability in the joints as the surrounding muscles work hard to control the movement. It is much easier to quickly step forward from Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog to the top of your mat, than stepping forward as slow as possible and activating the stabilising muscle of your core and hips, and the strength of your legs to control the movement.

EXPLORING GENTLE MINDFULNESS IN YOUR PRACTICE
As you move gently with mindfulness, search for small change brought on through your practice not big changes and perfection – a gentle stretch, an opening, a quietning of the mind. Before you move from pose to pose consider how you are going to journey there – as slow and controlled as possible.

ALIGNMENT CUES
This one is about being kind to yourself and moving gently. Start your practice lying on your back, with your hands on your belly, and take a few rounds of Viloma breath. Viloma breath breaks the exhale into three and helps to naturally lengthen the breath without tension – inhale completely then exhale, pause, exhale, exhale pause the full breath. As you run through the sequence pause in each pose long enough to register how the pose makes you feel and ask yourself if you need to back off a little or go further to find an appropriate sensation. Pay particular attention to your breath. There are a few mini flows in the first two rows that will help you link breath with movement.

• Spend plenty of time in the warm up phase of the sequence. Feel into the ball and socket hip joint as you move through some of the hip opening warm up poses in row one.

• Find your most supportive version of Balasana/Child’s Pose either arms forward, arms back, forearms either side of the head or a bolser between the knees to support the chest and head.

• In Ardha Uttanasana/Half Forward Fold reach your chest forward and peel your shoulders back. Feel a stretch in the chest and strength in the upper back.

• When moving from Uttanasana/Forward Fold to Tadasana/Mountain press strongly into your feet to ground down as you rise up.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Hands free flow

RETHINKING TRANSITIONS
Injuries can really test our patience. Wrist injuries in particular can feel like the end of your practice for the foreseeable future! But it doesn’t have to be so drastic. Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog is the most obvious pose that will cause problems with a wrist, hand, arm or shoulder injury. We predominantly use Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog as a transitional pose through the standing sequences of our practice. There are more than one way to get from standing pose to standing pose. Often the answer to many sequencing conundrums are answered through the beginners mindset. Stepping forward from Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog is not an easy transition for most beginners. When teaching beginner students we step them back from Tadasana/Mountain into standing poses, similar to how we transition in Iyengar. Taking a leaf out of the beginners book will help you flow through your practice without having to worry about encountering a wrist intense pose. Once you safely navigate the standing poses, and find your way to the seated poses, there is less of an issue with wrist problems.

ADAPT TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS
A sequence without Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog can also come in very handy if you are practising outdoors and the ground doesn’t look very inviting. I’ve also sometimes had to adapt my practice to this method in Hotel rooms. Carpets can hold onto the memories of the many previous guests and not be very inviting to vinyasaing through Ashtanga Pranam/Knees, Chest, Chin and Bhujangasana/Cobra! You can start your practise with some standing side stretches and twists and then start from ½ Surya Namaskara on the second row.

EXPLORING HANDS FREE FLOW UP IN YOUR PRACTICE
This hands free flow is perfect for wrist, hand, arms and shoulder injuries. It is also suitable for carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. It bypasses Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog, Four Limb Staff/Chaturanga, Phalakasana/Plank and any poses that puts excess body weight on the hands and arms. Instead of taking Balasana/Child’s Pose as your resting pose you will pause in Tadasana/Mountain and assimilate the practice. When you are stepping back step your left foot back first so that you are practising with the right leg forward first.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Our peak pose for this sequence is Vrksasana/Tree. It will teach you the principle of rooting down, finding your centre of gravity and feeling the surface beneath you.

• From Tadasana/Mountain, hands on hips, inhale, pour your weight into your left foot, draw your navel towards your spine.

• Bend your right knee and open your hip out to the side, place your right foot on your right calf, or at the top inside of your left thigh.

• Press your right foot against your inner left thigh and your thigh into your foot.

• Place your hands on your hip bones to check they are level, press firmly into the standing leg, exhale here.

• Lengthen through your spine to the tip of your crown, bring your hands to prayer position, inhale, raise your hands up over your head, broaden your collarbones gaze forward.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru