How can your hip mobility unlock trauma?

Across the digital sphere, fitness influencers are claiming hip exercises can help let go of trauma. Here, Balance checks out the function of our hips, how they store stress, and how a simple yoga pose can change the trajectory of your emotional releases… 

“We did the child pose in a mobility class at my gym and I started crying,” reads a top comment on video by Pilates By Katy. With over 300 comments from users relating to this sensation, others share their stories of “finally finding something to help with chronic hip pain” to “releasing all the trauma from 4 years of a bad relationship”. 

And this video isn’t a one-off; in fact, there are thousands of others garnering their own communities of like-minded women all doing the same. @pilatesbyhanahh captions her video saying: “You started working on your hip mobility and suddenly you’re releasing years of stored tension, unblocking energy flows through your root and sacral chakras, and your circulation and lymphatic systems are working again.” @isabellamainwaring explores the hips as a “soul muscle” in her interpretation, referring to the psoas muscle as a “storehouse for unprocessed emotions”. 

Women across the world are now trying their hand at various hip mobility routines. It’s inexpensive, can be done from the comfort of your home, and may be the answer to a lot of the issues you experience in keeping the intersection between your mind and body in a flow state. 

Below, we answer some of the questions seen across the digital landscape and under these certain videos, as we explore how women’s hips can unlock years of stored trauma… 

How does the mind-body relationship work? 

Have you ever noticed that when you're stressed, both your mental and physical health can deteriorate? This is because the relationship between your mind and body works very closely. Trauma and mental health issues like anxiety can both manifest in your body, for example, as chronic pain, muscle tension, respiratory problems, and even memory loss, to name a few. This connection is mediated by various factors, like the nervous system, hormones, and neurotransmitters. 

How do our hips function in this? 

The hip joint – at the top of our pelvis on each side – holds our weight and moves the legs. You have probably heard of people talking about “tight hips”, which means there is stiffness in the joint area. This can result in less mobility for the full body, as well as affecting posture, the back, and the neck. In the hips are the iliopsoas muscle towards the front, and is made up of two components – one of these being the psoas. It contributes to hip flexing, and stabilises the lower back, and is connected to both the upper and lower body. 

Why are my emotions in my hips? 

The kidneys live within our psoas which filter toxins in the body. Our adrenal glands are also situated in the psoas, which are where the flight, fight, or freeze response can be decided. That’s where our stress and trauma response can begin to build, with the psoas tightening as a physical response to this. It all starts to puzzle together, and manifest within our hips. 

One study found that some of our emotions associate directly with specific areas of our body, and are different when correlating between sex assigned at birth and culture. This means we can look through different lenses when combating this. 

How do I unlock the trauma trapped in my hips? 

You can start by researching somatic exercises, which enhance the mind and body connection. For example, these can include shaking (literally shaking your entire body); rolfing (deep tissue massage by a professional); the Alexander technique (retraining of habitual movements and posture); and the Feldenkrais Method (movement based technique). 

Some find the most effective to be yoga and stretching, which is what we predominantly see online. The classic and well-favoured positions include sun salutations, pelvic stretches, frog pose, and child pose. Under this umbrella of yoga and stretching, you can incorporate classes like dance and Pilates, which use some of the same methods. 

For some at-home style hip mobility exercises, you can explore fitness influencers, many of whom have series dedicated to trauma release. Some have even looked at reflexology for a quick, alternative method on-the-go. Our psoas is connected to the arch of the foot in this practice, so massaging can help release tension and produce an emotional release too. 

Although many of the stretches recommended are simple, if you suffer with any chronic pain or have a current injury, we recommend consulting a professional first. All that’s left to say is… happy stretching!