Still can't sit down

[Modes]

#2642

Hi first time poster here. I’ve been going to Bikram about 4x a week for the last 5 months, about 75 classes now and am still have not been able to progress in the fixed firm position. My butt doesn’t come close to the ground, still a couple inches, the same as it has always been. I feel this posture the most in my right knee (no previous injuries), it doesn’t hurt in a bad way but when I lay back into savasana after the posture and my knee rotates out that’s when I feel it the most.

I find it funny cause I can sit in a full locust no problem and even put my heel behind my head but my knees just don’t turn out the other way yet.

Any suggestions to help open my knee and to help my butt get all the way down?

Thanks, and great site you have here, been reading it for a couple months now 🙂

[mzsocialworker1]

#11018

One of my teachers says this is easily a 2 year posture and to not force yourself into it.

He actually encourages students to lean forward in it even since you are still getting benefits from it that way.

I have noticed that a lot of students tend to try to copy more flexible peeps in this pose and that’s not a good thing at all.

I go back and forth in my ability to do it myself.

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11020

Hi Daniel and of course Allison

Daniel, I have some questions that I request answers for each.

>> Would you please tell me how you’re sitting? Are you sitting with knees parallel?
>> Are your heels to the sides of your hips?
>> Can you please tell me how you are holding your body up? What I mean is, that with your hips in the air above the ground, do you need to put your hands on the ground or are you hovering hands-free? Is that comfortable? Or is there a general inability to settle at that point above your heels? I can reword that if that doesn’t make sense 😉
>> Where exactly are you feeling the discomfort in your right knee? Inner, outer side, or around the patella (some people feel something behind it).

Ciao for now

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Modes]

#11034

Thanks for the responses 🙂

I sit with my knees quite far apart (about as far as second set of camel… I love camel), heels touching hips. I hold my body up with my hands on the ground in front of me usually leaning forward but sometimes i can lean back (but not go back) and put my hands on the ground by my feet to hold myself up while slowly allowing my hips to go closer to the ground.

I feel the tightness in my right knee from the inside of the patella. And really feel it release when I lay back into savasana and let my toes fall apart.

I noticed too when I do toe stand, second set, sitting down onto my right heel I have problems lining my heel up with my butt, it tends to go too far to the left and can’t get it in the middle. I don’t recall this being a problem when I started going to bikram though.

Thanks for your help,

Daniel

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11035

Hi Daniel

Quick question: When you say the ‘inside of the patella’, do you mean on the left side of the right knee (at your midline) or do you mean somewhere in or around (behind?) the patella?

The knee is so very complex even though it is a simple hinge joint. All those ligaments in there! Different locations can denote different problems.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Modes]

#11036

By the inside of the patella I mean on the left side of my right knee.

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11037

Hi Daniel

Try this: Sit with your knees further apart. Push them as far apart as you can or feel physically comfortable doing. I stretch on your inner thigh is fine and possibly worth it for that! If you can still feel you inner right knee, then the answer – a temporary one – is to sit with your knees, feet, hips and heels together in a regular kneel (without rotating the lower legs).

This is a very restorative pose. It seems as though you could attempt that for at least a few classes.

The next thing to do is to try something at home. Get a cushion and sit ready for the first part of the pose, but what I want you to try is to put a nice big cushion or layers of soft towels under your bottom and allow yourself to sit comfortably on top of (and sink into) that layer. Make sure your knee does not hurt and make sure you sit up absolutely straight so that you can ease into the joints.

Little by little over time you can make the layer less thick. Your barometer is the pain in your knee. Avoid that pain.

If you do this in class, you can take a rolled mat (which may not be thick enough for you) or some cushions (maybe with something that will absorb the sweat so you can use them as often as you need them without going foul), or some extra towels.

Keep your knees as far apart as you need to.

The issue is that you may at the moment have undue stresses on your medial ligaments. You want to minimise the stresses on knee ligaments. So try these ideas. If you need further descriptions or need us to change tack then of course let me know.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

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