dozydelilah
hi i dont know if its just me or does anyone else find it impossible to disengage the hip flexers and use your abs to "float legs" . i think i have tightend my H F's rather than tighten my abs????
3 days ago

Hi,
I had this same problem. I decided to go back to supine Hook-lying position, and start with leg levitations and leg slides. You can also put the Reformer loops behind your knees while supine and try knee circles, etc. instead of leg circles. I literally dip my fingers in to my hip flexors to help them release. Also the image, "Femur heads drop toward the floor" while lying supine. A LOT of hip flexor stretches, even concentrating on length while in bridge/hinge. I hope you find this helpful! (FYI - I STILL have to work on this - I'm lordotic, so that explains a lot too, so I counter stretch the low back and hips as well, of course.)

There are no abdominal muscles that cross the hip flexors and attach to the femur. You must use your hip flexors to lever your legs.

It is impossible to disengage hip flexors to float the legs. The focus needs to be on the proper engagement of the iliopsoas as opposed to the superficial hip flexors. When you engage the iliopsoas to lift the legs they literally 'float up'. You want to focus on the length of the muscle as it contracts so that the leg lifts with control and ease. An image that often works well for my clients when I am teaching them supine knee lifts is the image of a miniature fishing rod sitting in through the belly button attached to the spine with the line attaching to the knee. There is always a gentle tension on the fishing line and as they exhale to lift the leg they imagine they are reeling the line in from the spine.
I also went to a fabulous Franklin Method workshop about the psoas a few years ago which was very helpful with all of this.

Yes, Rachel! I've also used the cue of a "winch" reeling in the leg, and never letting the line go slack. To clarify, my point with dipping my fingers in the HF was to help it not be the main motivator, as of course it shortens when the knee comes into table top supine. I love your description better. :)

Thanks Robin!

Yes, Franklin Method! Images can work wonders!! Pat Guyton, distinguished instructor on the site may be another wonderful resource. I personally like the suggestion to "act as if" you're going to lift the leg, but don't really lift it. This can set the intention, turn on the illiopsoas which will then do it's 'job'. Suggest to yourself 'to wait for it' , don't rush, let the pelvis enjoy being the anchor, and then enjoy the 'floating' of the leg!

thanks a mill guys for your advice