“You’ll often hear that we ‘hold our emotions in the hips,’” McCarroll explains. “When we are stressed, there is a tendency to clench the body, whether it be in the jaw, the belly, the hips or other areas. This constant state of stress causes actual physical tension. When we breathe deep and move consciously, we are able to soften these areas. This can be extremely cathartic and may trigger a big release of emotional tension in our hips or other areas during a yoga class.”

Furthermore, the psoas muscle, which runs from the lower back to the tops of the hips on either side of the spine, is thought to be where stress and trauma are held in the body, McCarroll adds. “Doing hip openers can release tension in this muscle, releasing emotional burdens,” shes ays. “In the spiritual aspect, hip openers awaken the sacral chakra, which is linked to creativity and relationships and emotional well-being.