Yoga Cures: A Bad Day

Release negative emotion from your hips

Sometimes holding your breath and counting to 10 just won’t do the trick.  One of the best ways to deal with a challenging scenario is by focusing on your hips to release bodily tension. “Hips hold a lot of emotions,” says Kimberly Wilson, author of the upcoming book Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat. “You are getting into areas that are always closed. Going to the yoga mat and practicing something that takes you deep into the hips helps you open and release, which is what you need when you are going through an emotional battle.” Wilson recommends the following sequence for full release, or, if you are pressed for time, just choose the hip-opening squat (pose #10) for a quick catharsis.

1. Begin in table pose. Take the hips to the right and make circles with the hips and torso. Repeat a few times to work out all the kinks. 

2. Return to table pose, bring your knees back a couple of inches, curl your toes under, and lift your hips to Downward Dog, an inverted V.

3. Inhale and lift your right leg—One-Legged Downward Dog.

---