The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana › Pain down inner sides of knees
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Paschimottanasana › Pain down inner sides of knees
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Hi there 🙂
I returned to Bikram two months ago after a realllly long absence… My practice is coming along fairly well, but I am still having so much trouble with this pose and I can’t see any reference to anyone else having the same problem in this forum or anywhere online. As a bit of background, I have a torn ACL in my left knee, I’m fairly hypermobile and I also lost all my muscle tone about 12 months ago in a combination of the muscle weakness associated with Graves Disease and then a protracted recovery following surgery to remove my thyroid – I mention this in case it may just be a another muscle that I haven’t strengthened enough yet, though I have been doing 1:1 pilates to slowly build up my muscles again over the past year.
Anyway, in this pose I feel quite a sharp stretching pain down the insides of both knees – I’ve tried keeping my feet parallel and also bringing my feet closer together, to the point where now I move into this pose with my feet just on either side of my mat – I’m 5’8″ and have very long legs so this is very narrow for me! But it still hurts, and I can also only grab the outside of my feet and not my heels due to the pain. Is there anything you can suggest I try?? My hamstrings don’t seem to be the problem, I can comfortably put my hands flat on the ground in a straight-legged forward bend. I’ve checked with my teacher and other than suggesting seeing a chiro (which I do, and so far it hasn’t helped) they are similarly at a loss. Do you have any advice please?
Many thanks!
AngHi Ang
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your pain. How straight is your back in this pose? Is it rounded?
That should get us started. 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
Thank you so much for your quick reply! 🙂
I’ve just tried it out and I’m keeping a straight back riiight up until the very end when I DO round down, is that likely to be causing the problem?? I’m going to yoga this afternoon so I’ll try to keep a straight back and see how that goes!
Many thanks! 🙂
AngHi Ang
So, try to keep it straight the whole time and even arched the other way. If your legs need to bend to get that open feeling in your torso then do that. It feels awesome.
Take a look at Opening Up Your Hamstrings With Hot Yoga to see a blog and some photos.
Have fun
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
I’ve tried the pose a couple of times now making sure my back is straight all the way down, and I still get the pain down the inside of my knees 🙁 It’s quite sharp and strong so I wind up having to step out of the pose every time, do you have any idea why this might be happening??
Many thanks!
AngHi Ang
Sorry if I sound as if I am repeating myself, but I am not sure, so please clarify: Is your final pose with straight legs and rounded back. I realise you have a straight back all the way down. What do you do to finish this pose?
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
Yes I finish the pose with straight legs and straight back too (though I can only reach the outside of my toes with my hands when I do as my inner knees start hurting straight away).
Many thanks
AngHi Ang
When you have straight legs and back then your hands must be holding at the heels. Directly from behind or at an angle. The hands should never be coming in directly from the sides (at right angles) and the grip should not be further forward than the heel (never at the arch either). So if you are holding the toes then please bend the legs. You will still be able to have a straight back. In fact it should feel rather great that you can feel a bigger stretch through your back as it even arches a bit (in many people). Your elbows will be pointing backward and never out to the side.
Does that make sense?
Without bend your legs and arms in this way your body is missing out on the possibility of finding the sweet spot of this pose! Have fun in discovery. 😉 This should be more gentle on your knees.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle
I was a bit worried that I’d be called out in my Bikram class for not having straight legs, but it was all fine (and I noticed other people with a slight knee bend too) and I finally feel what this stretch is actually for – no pain in the knees, and an amazing stretch down my hamstrings! Thank you so much for your help!! 🙂
Cheers
AngHi Ang
I love a happy ending! Or should I say beginning?
Thanks for coming back to tell me the great news
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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