With reference to the Swan/Sleeping Swan! If a student of mine, who is rather flexible, struggles with this pose, and seems to get alot of pain in the front of his hips, in the Psoas muscle!
Would I suggest he points his front knee to the front more, so he adducts that leg and gets more into the outer hip? Rather than having the front knee out to the side, where it abducts that leg more, and more compresssion is happening in the front hip and psoas.
I'm interested to hear what you have to say!!
Also when is your new book coming out? I want to order 2 copies:)
As always, pain is not good. I am a bit surprised to hear that your student's pain is in the psoas of the front leg: that's a bit unusual, but every body is different! Often students complain of compression at the point where the ASIS (the top/front part of the pelvis) hits the lower body or the stomach, so I wonder if that is what is happening here. One way to check is to ask if your student feels this same compression in other poses like Child's Pose or low lunges like the Dragon. For the front leg, the psoas is normally quite relaxed in this posture.
If the cause is compression, regardless of whether it is at the ASIS or the psoas, then the standard modification is to abduct the front leg more and go around that point of compression. Adducting the leg usually tends to increase the compression. However, you are suggesting adduction: have you tried it with her? Does it make a difference? That's the real key: try various position and see what she is feeling.
My new book should (fingers crossed) be in the store before Xmas, but it will be a tight race! If not by Xmas, then for sure early in 2012.
Thanks for your response. Its only in the Sleeping Swan where she seems to get compression in the front of the hips. In the Childs Pose, and Dragon she is ok. Ok maybe if she brings the front knee out to the side more, so that legs abducts more, like you suggested, is the key.
I will try that with her next time, and let you know how I go. I was saying to her, its probably some of those 3rd series Astanga poses, with your legs behind your head, that are causing you pain. But you know what these Astangi's are like:)