The legs meet the pelvis at the hip joints. The waist is probably four or five inches above the hip joints.
Bending at the hips instead of the waist can make you feel stronger and relieve back pain. It is important to remember that, although the spine is flexible, the waist is not a joint and that almost every major movement in the body should involve the hip joints and, generally, not the waist. The hip joints are much lower than most people think. They are about four or five inches below the waist. Look at the image of the pelvis above and then try the two tips below.
- Lie down as shown in the image below and lift one knee at a time as if you are walking in place. Use your hand to feel each hip joint. What goes up is your leg, what stays down is your back–the hip joint is what connects them. For greater clarity, you might also try to feel the base of your pelvis as shown in the image of the pelvis above.
Look for your hip joints with your hands. - As shown in the images below, lean against a wall with your knees bent and then bend forward from the lowest possible point. The lowest point is your hip joints. You should feel your pelvis rotating on the wall as you bend. Avoid bending the spine.
As you bend, feel your pelvis rotating on the wall. Avoid bending at the waist.
It is important to know where your hips joints are because they are generally involved in every major body movement. But there is more to the hip joints than just a place to bend. Bending at the hips instead of the waist gives you more strength and power and makes every movement easier. Knowing where your hip joints are also allows you to discover the dynamic oppositional relationship between the back and the legs and makes it possible to point the spine. The back goes back from the hip joints, up. The legs go forward from the hip joints, down.
There are more resources available on the Free Your Neck Blog. Please write your requests in the comment section.
Buy The Secret to Using Your Body
You’re fixing things that were unfixable by a chiropractor in orthopedic surgeon etc.
Im paying attention to forward up head and spine up
/behind head. Its very different from physical therapist chiropractic and yogic advice in that they encourage head/neck back..shoulders back n down. Your directions are more muscle-relaxing. Thank you.
I tore my supraspinatus and need to relax..not quite understanding why you separate head from neck/spine.. as an african dance aficionada if i move my spine, my head moves..otherwise there would be no flow..at what cervical point in neck do you consider the spine to end and the head stand alone!?
The head/neck relationship is fundamental in the Alexander Technique. Alexander himself called it the “Primary Control” and it’s not something a “Tip” can address. If you want to learn what it is really about, you have to explore taking Alexander Technique lessons.
Pingback: Radicalism – Notes on My 9th Alexander Technique Lesson
This is so.o.o clear and yes, I’m forwarding it. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks Susan!
i liked these words::::
“””The back goes back from the hip joints, up. The legs go forward from the hip joints, down.”””””
And we missed you.
Hey Leland. I wish I had been in town for that class. I’ll see you next time.