Exploring the hip-joints by circles of the legs (L/R)

You move very systematically through basic movements of your hip-joints: left, right, up, down, rotation. You will do similar movements with your feet and examine how that relates to your hip-joints. Furthermore you will explore how these movements relate to your pelvis, and how they connect up through your spine and chest. (Movements on left and right side are done in succession)

Improve your image of how your hip joints move, especially in relation to other parts of your body. Help your hip joints to move more smoothly. Increase the range of motion in your hip joints through meaningful movement combinations, rather than stretching. Learn how to find and develop basic movements of your hip-joints that may have not been clear to you before. Practice this lesson on one side first to experience a stark difference (or switch between left/right frequently for a more even progression).

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1

Supine, on your back. Bend your knees. Stand your feet. With both hands take hold of your right knee. Your left foot keeps standing on the floor.

Right knee closer and further away

Move your knee towards your chest, and then further away again.

  • There’s many ways to hold your knee, and also several locations for your hands, for example: in front of your knee, on top, or behind.

    Move slowly, delicately.

    There's a path evolving: closer and further away.

Right knee closer and further away

Move your knee towards your chest, and then further away again.

2

Stand both feet. Hold your right knee with both hands.

Right knee to the left and right

Move your right knee to the left and then also to the right.

  • Where is your center (your personal neutral) between left and right? Did that position change to another place due to your movements and explorations?

    How much movement is there to the left and to the right?

Right knee to the left and right

Move your right knee to the left and then also to the right.

3

Stand both feet. Hold your right knee with both hands.

Circles with the right knee

Combine all four directions - closer, further away, left, right - to form a circle.

  • Make smooth movements, not jerky. Slowly.

    Make bigger and smaller movements.

    See where your leg is free to move on it's own. That's the area where the head of your femur can roll freely in your hip socket. Also see when your leg drags your pelvis along.

Circles with the right knee

Combine all four directions - closer, further away, left, right - to form a circle.

4

Stand your left foot. Hold your right knee with both hands.

Circles with the right foot

Build up to it, start with lines before doing circles. Focus on different areas on your foot at a time.

  • Do not extend your knee or lift your leg unnecessarily.

    Shift your attention from toe to toe, from the big one down to the little one. Or focus on your heel. Find movement in your entire foot.

Circles with the right foot

Build up to it, start with lines before doing circles. Focus on different areas on your foot at a time.

5

Stand your left foot. Hold your right knee with both hands.

Continuation

Circles with the right foot, direction + speed

Change the direction of your circles, and the speed.

  • At first pay attention to the ease of movement, smoothness and accuracy. Use as little power as possible. Only later build speed.

Continuation

Circles with the right foot, direction + speed

Change the direction of your circles, and the speed.

6

Stand your left foot, hold your right knee with both hands, then with your right hand slide along your right lower leg until you can get hold of your right ankle with your right hand.

Circles with the right lower leg

Keep your right knee stationary, while drawing circles with your entire right foot.

  • You might want to start with drawing lines first: up-down, left-right, and then upgrade to circles. Take the whole foot to the left and right, up and down, in relation to the knee.

    Then make the movement bigger and bigger, make a large movement with your entire lower right leg: your heel, your foot, while your knee stays stationary.

    Also change the direction of the circles.

Circles with the right lower leg

Keep your right knee stationary, while drawing circles with your entire right foot.

7

Stand your left foot, hold your right knee with your left hand, your right ankle with your right hand.

Circles with the right lower leg and the knee

This time let your right knee move into opposite directions (left and right) in relation to your right foot.

  • In the movement before, your knee stayed stationery while making circles with your foot, now let the knee move in space, participate in a broad way.

    When you pull your right foot to the right, let your knee go to the left, and the other way round.

    See how you can participate with your entire self.

Circles with the right lower leg and the knee

This time let your right knee move into opposite directions (left and right) in relation to your right foot.

8

Supine (on your back), both legs extended.

On your back, observe

In your feeling, compare your right side and your right hip joint to your left.

  • Any changes in how you rest your torso?

    Also your upper body, and in the diagonal: approximately at your left shoulder blade, how does it feel?

On your back, observe

In your feeling, compare your right side and your right hip joint to your left.

9

Stand your left foot, hold your right knee with your left hand, and with your right hand grab your right lower leg somewhere near your right ankle or right foot.

Right knee to the left, right foot to the right

Direct your right foot and knee in opposite directions, let your whole self be involved.

  • Start small, gradually make the movement bigger, explore your options.

    Little by little involve more of yourself: let your knees sink to the left, let your pelvis roll to the left.

    Eventually your right knee and left hand will touch the floor. And your hip joint will allow for more movement: your right foot will be able to go further towards your right.

Right knee to the left, right foot to the right

Direct your right foot and knee in opposite directions, let your whole self be involved.

10

Sit and lean on your left hand. Have your left leg extended in front of you, your right leg bent backwards. The inside edge of your right knee is on the floor, in front of you. Your right foot is to your right side.

Flip your right knee over

With your right hand hold your right knee, lift it off the floor and flip it over to the other side.

  • At first your right knee is touching the floor with it's inside edge, after being passed over it touches the floor with it's outside edge.

    Keep your left hand on the floor at all times. This makes it necessary for the spine, the hip joints, and pelvis to be flexible.

Flip your right knee over

With your right hand hold your right knee, lift it off the floor and flip it over to the other side.

Sit with your left leg extended, your right foot bent backwards (with the inside edge of your right knee on the floor), and lean on your left hand.

There's 3 possible ways to flip over your knee.

Can you find all of them?

  • 1) Slide your right foot close to your left knee to flip your right knee over to the right. Slide your right foot far away from your left knee to flip your right knee back over to the left again.

    2) Use your left long leg like the arm of a giant windshield wiper, like a very big truck would have. Wipe your left foot far to the right to flip your right knee over to the right. Wipe your left foot far over to the left to flip your right knee back to the left.

    3) Leave your right foot and left long leg more or less where they are. Instead, make a big movement with your pelvis. Roll your pelvis, bend your spine, use your hip joints to make space for your knee to be flipped over to the other side. This is the movement we're looking for, and been building up for in this lesson.

There's 3 possible ways to flip over your knee.

Can you find all of them?

11

Stand your left foot, hold your right knee with your left hand, and your right foot with your right hand, on its outside edge near your right little toe.

Reference movement

Right knee to the left, right foot to the right

Start by gently pulling your right foot and knee in opposite directions, gradually let your whole self be involved.

  • Make it a very small movement in the beginning, little by little involve more of yourself: let your knees sink to the left, let your pelvis turn and roll to the left.

    Your right foot will not touch the floor, just the knee.

    When your right knee touches the floor your right foot will be up high.

Reference movement

Right knee to the left, right foot to the right

Start by gently pulling your right foot and knee in opposite directions, gradually let your whole self be involved.

12

Stand both feet. This time hold your left knee with both hands.

Left knee closer and further away

Pull your knee towards your chest.

  • Same movement as before, but this time on your left side. Are there any differences?

Left knee closer and further away

Pull your knee towards your chest.

13

Stand both feet. Hold your left knee with both hands.

Lines and circles with the left knee

As before, start with lines left and right, and then explore making circles.

  • Explore: clockwise vs. counter-clockwise, various speeds, where you go faster and where you go slower, anatomical limits, if and where you hold your breath, the connection of this movement to movements in the rest of yourself, etc.

Lines and circles with the left knee

As before, start with lines left and right, and then explore making circles.

14

Stand your right foot. Hold your left knee with both hands.

Circles with the left foot

As before, build up to it. Then play with it.

  • Also pay attention to your heel. In which direction does your heel move when your toes move, for example, to the left? Up? Down?

    When you move faster, are you still making circles? Is the movement still smooth? Easy? Are you still at ease? How would you know?

    Also change the direction of the circles.

Circles with the left foot

As before, build up to it. Then play with it.

15

Stand your right foot, hold your left knee with your right hand, and with your left hand grab your left lower leg somewhere near your left ankle or left foot.

Left knee to the right, left foot to the left

Start by gently pulling your left foot and knee in opposite directions, then little by little let it become a large movement.

  • Slowly increase the difference between the right hand pulling to the right, and the left hand pulling to the left.

    Use everything you've done and learned so far in this lesson.

    The rolling should be comfortable, easy, pleasant. Slowly let your pelvis roll, the movement should become easier and easier, larger and larger.

Left knee to the right, left foot to the left

Start by gently pulling your left foot and knee in opposite directions, then little by little let it become a large movement.

16

Stand your right foot, hold your left knee with your right hand, then with your left hand slide down to hold your left ankle from the outside.

Circles with the left lower leg

Keep your left knee in place without moving it left or right, while drawing circles with your entire left foot.

  • There will be movement inside your knee, but do not move your entire knee left or right.

    It's like moving your left lower leg to the shape of a cone; with your foot moving along the base, and the knee being the apex of the cone.

    Also change the direction of the circles.

Circles with the left lower leg

Keep your left knee in place without moving it left or right, while drawing circles with your entire left foot.

17

Stand your right foot, hold your left knee with your right hand, your left ankle with your left hand.

Circles with the left lower leg and the knee

Let your left knee move into opposite directions (left and right) in relation to your left foot.

  • Also change directions of the circles, change the speed (slower and faster), and the size (very big circles and very small ones.)

Circles with the left lower leg and the knee

Let your left knee move into opposite directions (left and right) in relation to your left foot.

18

Like before, but change over your legs: Sit with your right leg extended, your left foot bent backwards (with the inside edge of your left knee on the floor), and lean on your right hand.

Flip your left knee over

With your left hand hold your left knee, lift it off the floor and flip it over to the other side.

  • Change the entire posture of your body as much as necessary until your knee will be able to touch the floor on either side.

    Keep your head free, so you can turn it with the knee or into any other direction.

    Keep your breath calm and casual, don't tense up your jaw.

Flip your left knee over

With your left hand hold your left knee, lift it off the floor and flip it over to the other side.

19

Stand your right foot, hold your left knee with your right hand, and with your left hand hold the outside edge of your left foot, near your left small toe.

Reference movement

Left knee to the right, left foot to the left

Start by gently pulling your left foot and knee in opposite directions, then little by little let it become a large movement.

  • This time your left knee will touch the floor, while your left foot will be high up in the air. The difference will be much greater than in the beginning.

Reference movement

Left knee to the right, left foot to the left

Start by gently pulling your left foot and knee in opposite directions, then little by little let it become a large movement.

20

Bend both legs. With the right hand hold the outside edge of your right foot. With your left hand hold the outside edge of your left foot. Keep your knees together.

One foot apart from the other

Move your right foot to the right, your left foot to the left, keep your knees together.

  • Keep your knees together at all times.

    If you're quite inflexible in your chest you might lower your knees to the floor (move the knees further away from your chest) while you spread your feet apart. That might make it easier.

One foot apart from the other

Move your right foot to the right, your left foot to the left, keep your knees together.

21

Again: bend both legs. With the right hand hold the outside edge of your right foot. With your left hand hold the outside edge of your left foot. Keep your knees together.

Continuation

Circles with both feet

Keep your knees together while making circles with your feet.

  • Take breaks when you need them.

    Also change directions.

    Play with what you've learned in this lesson.

Continuation

Circles with both feet

Keep your knees together while making circles with your feet.

22

Lie on your back. Extend your legs and arms.

Leave it, lie on the back

Pay attention to what feeling there is in your pelvis, in your legs, in your chest, and in your shoulders.

Leave it, lie on the back

Pay attention to what feeling there is in your pelvis, in your legs, in your chest, and in your shoulders.

23

Stand, preferably on a hard floor.

Stand, see how it is

Roll over one side and come up to standing. See if it is more comfortable to walk now.

Stand, see how it is

Roll over one side and come up to standing. See if it is more comfortable to walk now.