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A common request in any yoga class is for hip openers like the Pigeon Pose. Although hip openers can be challenging, they are popular because they can also be very satisfying, both physically and emotionally.

Our hips tend to be extremely tight. Most people spend much of their day sitting which renders their hips joints immobile and reduces their agility. Also, everyday activities like walking and common sports such as cycling and running involve hip strength but not hip flexibility. Most of us lead very busy lives and this leads to stress. This stress in turn creates tension in our bodies and often results in further locking up our already tight hip sockets.

Incorporating Pigeon Pose into your daily routine will help you to unlock your hips, move with greater ease and relieve a considerable amount of tension.

This pose stretches the hip flexors and the hip rotators, providing a terrific solution to problems arising from hip tightness. Since it also requires internal rotation in the back leg and external rotation in the front leg, it will have a positive effect on your whole body, perhaps even allowing you to move more freely after consistent practice.

The Pigeon Pose isolates various muscles in the hips, reducing stiffness and increasing flexibility. It is this isolation of muscles that can make this pose so challenging. Be aware that there is definitely some physical work involved with the practice of this asana. The key is to bring your attention to and observe the sensations created in your body during your practice.

On your mat, go on all fours with your knees below your hips and your hands underneath your shoulders. Bring the right knee forward until it touches the right wrist while maintaining a straight line between the right thigh and the sides of the mat. Slowly move your right foot and shin toward the middle of your body until your foot is directly below your left hip. Straighten the left leg toward the back of the mat.

Don't lean forward but walk your hands back and lower both sides of the pelvis toward the mat. Keeps your hips straight and level as the pelvis releases. You can use a block or a folded blanket if you have trouble lowering the hips evenly.

Press the fingertips firmly into your mat and lengthen the sides of your waist as your hips continue to settle. This will help keep your lower back long and free from strain.

Inhale deeply and walk the hands forward as you lengthen in the midsection. Exhale as you fold forward and lower the elbows to the floor. The weight that is released in the hips can be adjusted by using the arms. Using the arms to support the body can ease any discomfort felt in the hips.

Pay attention to the sensations in your hips and buttock. If it feels extremely uncomfortable, a shift in alignment may be required. Remember, the idea is to relieve tension, not to create additional tension in your joints.

Keeping the hips level is vital in the practice of the Pigeon Pose. If the hips are uneven, an imbalance will result when you fold forward. To offset this, a folded blanket may be placed under the right buttock (if you are extending the right knee).

Keep the thigh of your front leg lined up parallel to the sides of the mat. Your front foot should be directly beneath your back hip. Bring your breath into your hips and observe the sensations running through them. Relax the muscles in your face and let go of thoughts appearing in your mind. Allow your body to melt to the floor as you continue to breathe into your hips.

stay in the forward fold for 5 - 10 breaths. Then inhale and come back up. Lift your hips away from the floor as you press into your fingertips. Transition to downward dog and take 5 deep breaths, observing how you feel in your hips. Then switch to the other side.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

Let's start out by challenging a dearly held belief that prevents far too many golfers from developing a good golf swing. Far too many golfers grip the club loosely, believing that their golf swing will be stiff and robotic if their wrists are too tight. This is not the case. If you want to improve your golf swing, get rid of this faulty idea and realize that you will do much better if you develop a tight grip.

Although many golfers have developed a bad golf swing through holding the clubs too loosely, no-one, except perhaps a few anxious newcomers, harms their swing by holding the clubs too tightly.

many golfers tend to take a loose grip. This loose grip results in many errors that could be avoided easily. These errors are caused by hands opening at the top, the left wrist collapsing (or the right wrist, if you are a left-handed golfer), over swinging and various others.

You want a tight grip! Grab hold of that golf club and hold it tightly in your hands. Tight is right is your new mantra.

When you swing, your hands should be tight on the club. However, avoid holding yourself so stiffly that your upper back and shoulder muscles are cramped up.

Although the tight grip may feel awkward if you are accustomed to gripping loosely, it braces against multiple faults such as those mentioned earlier. This in turn helps you carry out the swinging motion most effectively.

This is the correct way to grip your club for an improved golf swing. Hold the club tightly enough that almost all fingers grasp the club. If you are a right handed golfer, the last three fingers of the left hand and the first three of the right hand are on the club. left handed golfers will want to reverse this.

Resist the urge to place the forefinger of the right hand lightly on the club. By this, we refer to the finger that you hook round the shaft just below the thumb on your right hand. Be sure you hook this forefinger around the club firmly. This fingers tip should connect with the thumbs tip. Otherwise, at the top of the swing, the club will drop into the Vee that occurs between the thumb and forefinger. When this happens, you lose control at the top, and have to regain this control as the club swings downward.

In short, you want a tight, two-knuckle overlap for your golf swing.

Now, this is the correct way to how to stand up to the ball so you get a good golf swing. Its not difficult, but there are a couple of things to remember.

First, you want to stand in a position that allows you to swing the club back freely before easily arcing the ball downwards towards your feet. Divide your weight evenly between your left foot and your right foot. Slightly flex the knees. You are better off flexing too much than too little when you position yourself for your golf swing.

Bend slightly from the waist. round or hunch your shoulders. Be sure your head is down. If you are a right handed golfer, you place your right hand further down on the shaft than the left hand. This in tern means that your right shoulder is lower than the left. Reverse this if you are a left handed golfer getting positioned for a golf swing.

Now go for it! Follow these golf tips and youll have an improved golf swing.

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