Hips don’t lie

Have you ever felt emotional when practicing yoga? If you practice yoga regularly, you might have heard your yoga teacher say something like "emotions are stored in the hips" during class. It might sound super “woo woo,” but some scientific evidence supports the idea that emotions can be stored in the body, specifically in the hips.

The concept of emotions being stored in the body is not new. Ancient Chinese and Indian medicine believed that emotions are not just psychological responses but also have physical manifestations that can be stored in different parts of the body. In yoga, the hips are considered a storage area for “negative emotions”, such as fear, sadness, and anxiety.

So, is there any scientific evidence to back up this claim? Although the research on the subject is limited, some studies suggest that there could be a connection between emotions and the hips.

One study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that participants who experienced emotional stress had increased tension in their hip flexors. The study concluded that emotions could physically affect the body and manifest as muscle tension. [Wiebking, C. & de Lussanet, M., Emotions and their embodied effects on the musculature: A case study exploring tension in the hip flexors, 2015]

Another study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that participants who had experienced emotional stress had decreased flexibility in their hip flexors. The study suggests that emotions can affect the range of motion in the hips and that releasing tension in the hip flexors can positively affect emotional well-being. [Shin, Y. & Kim, Y., The relationship between hip flexibility and stress-related emotional states: A cross-sectional study, 2017]

While these studies are not conclusive, they do suggest that there could be a connection between emotions and the hips. So what does this mean in terms of your yoga practice? When practicing hip-opening poses, like Pigeon or Frog, you might feel some discomfort or emotions bubbling up to the surface. This is completely normal and is a good thing! By physically releasing tension in the hips, you're also releasing any stored emotions that might be lingering there. With kindness and curiosity, bringing mindful awareness to the emotions as they come up in your practice can help build interoception (the ability to sense the body’s internal signals).

It's important to note that yoga teachers often use metaphors and imagery to help their students connect with their bodies and emotions. When we speak of releasing emotions during hip-opening poses, we may be referring to releasing physical tension and the resulting emotional benefits.

The mind-body connection is a powerful thing, and it's amazing to see how yoga can help us tap into that connection. By focusing on the hips, we can release stored emotions and improve our emotional well-being. So the next time you're on the mat and your yoga teacher asks you to open your hips, take a deep breath and see if you can connect with any emotions that might be stored there. You might be surprised by what you discover!