TheHotYogaDoctor

Beth,

Just commenting here to say, YES YES YES YES YES.  And yes!  To your last post.

All the other hyper- people out there, please listen to Beth, cause she is right on.

My legs are the same, and they gradually are getting straighter.  It’s the slow way, but it’s the RIGHT way, which is all you can ever do!

Best,
Juliana

P.S.  I heart Diane forever and ever…

Hi Patty

There are a number of other issues with your knees in there which have to do with other poses. It must be reassuring for you that your sciatic related pain has diminished with your practice and your hyperextension seems to be responding well. Keep up the single leg bends (as you said you would ) and either Google some other exercises for video examples or go see someone at a gym or a personal trainer or a physical therapist.

I would like to ask you about your Fixed Firm pose. It is great that you are no longer getting pain in your knees here. Are you intentionally trying to flatten your back on the floor. One is supposed to create a beautifully and firmly abutted bridge or arch in the spine. This in itself could take some pressure off your knees.

I think that you should also avoid Toe Stand until you have pinpointed what is going on in your knees.

It has been 2 weeks since your pose (buried among other posts) and I wonder what experience you are having with your knee now. Is it still painful on the front above your knee?

I hope to hear from you soon

Namaste
Gabrielle

Hi again,

Thank you for your help, it is really appreciated.  I have been in physical therapy for 3 weeks because of the knee pain.  The exercises I have been doing are wall sits, leg extensions on the machine while holding a ball between my knees, inner thigh leg lifts with 2 1/2 lb ankle weights and calve stretches on a slant board.  My yoga has improved since I started, especially the balancing poses.  I don’t do awkward pose or toe stand as those are the ones that hurt.  In awkward, I just go down as low as I can with my back straight and stop where I can hold it.  My doctor, whom I saw for the referral, told me a had loose knee caps.  Structural issues, weak quads and inner thighs and too much body weight seem to have all conspired against my knees.

In fixed firm pose I am not trying to lie flat and can barely get a slight arch going. 

I am really excited about the improvements I am making since I started the PT.  Your instruction coupled with the PT is making a huge difference.  I use your 90 minute class from the master class for my practice.  Have you thought about recording some more 90 minute classes as I would like to mix it up a little? 

Thank you, again for all of your help.  I love your work.

Patty

Hi Patty

That is great news. You must feel so reassured with your progress.

Here’s something that I would like you to do. In your standing poses keep an even footprint and try - at least until you have some more strength in your quads and stability in your leg - to keep best alignment - ESPECIALLY when the instruction is to bring the weight back into the heels. In other words, NO weight into the heels for half moon and any other pose where your leg or legs are straight.

Thank you for your feedback. Yes, I will be recording some more classes very soon.

Namaste
Gabrielle

I’ve been reading through this thread and I am relieved to see I’m not the only one with questions about my knees. I wouldn’t consider myself to have bad knees, but I know they can be sensitive. My alighnment is off for sure. I stand all day at work with my arms at shoulder hight or higher, and I also have a tendency to lean on my right leg with that leg locked. It is very easy for me to lock my knees, but when I do they look very hyperextended. I am also a little knock kneed. I’m wondering if some of the other people out here with hyperextension problems have knock knees as well? Strangly, I’ve noticed my cousin has the same problem, knock knees and hyperextension, so I have a slight belief it could be hereditary. To make matters worse…I also have a very high arch in my foot. LOL. So any way, to get to the point, I feel like I balance best when my leg is hyperextended being knock kneed because my knees meet closer in the middle which in turn puts more presure on the inside of my standing leg, which in turn puts more weight in my high arches on the inside so I’m not teetering on the outside. I’ve never felt like this could be right for my body, just like it never felt right to force my toes and heels together, but I balance better. I’m more concerned with alighning my body, so today in class I practiced pulling up on the knee until straight, and then going into my standing bow. It was a bit wobbly, but I fell out of it every time I hear “Jayme! Lock your leg!” I’m confused…Sorry this post is so long.