Painful and achy hips
Age or life changes?
Is it just my age? Do I have to get used to achy joints now? These were some of our reflections in yesterday's yoga class. The comments were that sitting crossed-legged for a longer time wasn’t so comfortable any longer. Or even just moving from sitting to standing.
There was joint stiffness in the hip joint and the outer hip area too. Basically the pelvis.
There can be many reasons why. It can be an injury, postural issues, or lack of mobility and strength. But could it also be due to age?
I don’t like using age as a reason for not being able to do certain things, or not being strong enough, or flexible enough etc etc etc. And certainly, we have to factor in our biological age (how the body actually ages) and chronological age (how many years you have lived). They can be very different.
We all know people who look and behave much older than they are. Just like we know extremely youthful people. That’s our biological age. And our attitude to life.
The ayurvedic life cycle
In ayurveda, there are three distinct phases of life. Childhood, midlife, maturity.
Childhood
When we are young we need to grow and accumulate. This a kapha time. Kapha is earth and water element. It’s about endurance and strength. We need this as we grow from babies to young adults. It’s also the time we see lots of colds and congestion in the body. Snotty children carrying infections which are sticky and heavy. This is simply an excess accumulation of kapha.
Midlife
Here we need the fire of pitta dosha. Pitta is fiery and focused so we can be out in the world, able to create a potential family (however that looks for you), interact with the community, create a home and work to support ourselves and those we love. We need to fire to do so - yet many cultures are glorifying this focus on busyness and achievement that we literally get burned out.
Later life
In our society, it is as if our “midlife” lifestyle is being continuously stretched. That we need to work longer and be active and interactive for longer. There are expectations for us to keep being in the workforce and have that same pitta heating lifestyle into later life.
Our life expectancy is also longer. It also means we enjoy an extended “later life” period in our lifecycle. Although we pretend this extension is part of the midlife phase. I think this is the reason many of us have certain symptoms including those we experience around perimenopause.
In the “later life” phase we no longer need to interact and work so much. We can start to withdraw and consider our spiritual or self-development. It doesn’t mean we need to become reclusive. We can still be active, social, still do our life’s work, inspire and be inspired - things that nourish us!
The element here is air and space which is vata dosha. We can embrace air and space to find lightness in life. To let go of the heaviness. And towards the end of life - letting go completely.
Considering Vata dosha
It is this vata phase we will look at in our conversation about the “achy hips”.
Now, some of us discussing this might just be in our 40s or 50s and not feel old or middle-aged at all. Yet in our ayurvedic life cycle, we are moving towards the vata stage. Even if our lifestyle and culture are influenced by the power, fire, activities and stress of pitta.
Finding balance is to embrace the influences of vata while making sure we don’t experience any aggravated vata symptoms. We do this by reducing any vata increasing foods or activities. And favour the opposite qualities.
Vata dosha is: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, and clear.
Vata’s home is in the pelvis. And because it’s made of space and air it’s anywhere there is space or air in the body. This includes the joints. Such as the hip joints!
So how do we counter increased vata or vata imbalances such as achy hips?
Movement with awareness. Keep moving to prevent stagnation. Keep moving to lubricate the joints. Imagine fluid juicy movements to prevent the dryness of vata.
Create strength to support the bones and the joints. As much as we love to stretch in yoga we really need to engage with stability and structure. These qualities are very kapha. Kapha is juiciness and lubrication too. Complete opposite of vata! So be aware of stability and support in the body along with flexibility!
Excess heat (like excess pitta) can create dryness leading to further vata aggravation. Keep warm (as vata is cool) but don’t get overheated!
In our yoga, we can use the intention of warmth, lubrication, fluidity, mobility - and strength, structure and stability.
Other vata support
On a physical level vata is dry. So making sure we are hydrated is important. Not overly hydrated but enough. Use plenty of oils too. Internally and externally. As one of the women added in our conversation; for her using omega-3 oils was an instant relief. Take a wide spectrum omega complex if you take supplements or add lots of oily (wholesome) food or actual oils or ghee to your diet.
Massage your body with vegetable oils. Especially your joints. Warm sesame oil is the traditional ayurvedic suggestion but there are others too. Just make sure it is an actual vegetable oil not mineral oil based.
Vata being air and space is very changeable and can be ungrounded. Our yoga practice is also a place to find ease in body, breath and mind. Use your yoga to connect with the breath. Calm an aggravated or ungrounded mind or heart. Enjoy the philosophy and teaching of yoga or other spiritual paths to support you through stressful or anxiety-provoking situations so that vata is balanced and light.
We are cyclical beings. Life cycles, menstrual cycles… Mother Nature changes through her cycles of spring, summer, autumn and winter. And like Her, we too must adapt to support our body and mind through our phases of life. It’s not about being “old” or ageing. It’s about embracing, caring and optimising wherever we are - right now.
For a short time experience the class we enjoyed together focusing on the hips after the conversation above. These classes are always recorded and stored along with 100s of videos for on-demand viewing on our Monthly Membership which you can join here
This is a regular flow class with a 15 minute guided yoga nidra