Guest guest Report post Posted May 16, 2002 I'm with you on the hip inflexibility/knee problems, but I don't think there is a real answer out there. Most of my problems seem to come in Janu Shirshasana or thereabouts, and any lotus posture too. Which postures are giving you problems? Re blocks, at a recent weekend seminar the instructor said sure, use them if you like, but there's nothing you can do with blocks that you can't do without them in a modified posture. His opinion was that it's better to do the modified posture than use blocks. Re Lotus, I think it is very important to learn the posture properly as I found that what I _thought_ was the correct hip/knee/foot position wasn't really correct after all. I can only advise talking it over with an instructor. I still find my knees hurt almost every day, but it wears off after a few hours or so. There is a difference between a mild strain and a real injury, although the former can lead to the latter if you're not too careful. I take it you have a full-blown injury if it's so bad that you need 2 weeks off. Cheers, Scott catbalco [catbalco] 16 May 2002 18:45 ashtanga yoga ashtanga yoga knee injury Hello, I've just started practicing Astanga seriously about 7 months ago. I'm very athletic (have a lot of strength), and have extremely inflexible hips. Despite my attempts to be careful, I've found that my hip inflexibility has caused my knees to overcompensate in lotus/half-lotus like positions, and therefore HURT. I've just taken two weeks off to give them a chance to heal, but would like to start practicing again. At a friend's suggestion, I'm using a block to support my knees in these positions. Does anyone have any other advice for me about avoiding further knee strain? How careful do you think I'll need to be in order to keep practicing regularly without doing real damage? Are there any other folks with VERY inflexible hips out there? Any advice? Thanks - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 17, 2002 Thanks very much Scott - Janu Shirsasana, certainly, and arda badda padmottanasana/pachimatanasana (sp?) also, where I think I was rather too agressive in my attempts to bind. Do you agree that a viable variation for the first of these two is commonly known as "tree posture" - placing one foot on the inside of the other thigh (rather than on top of it), and just practicing balancing, rather than bending over? Its also good to hear that a little bit of knee strain/pain is OK/not necessarily preemtive of an injury - because I can't imagine practicing without tweaking my knees even just a little. I don't think I've really injured myself yet, although I do think I caught myself just in time. I will definitely take you up on your suggestion to get some professional advice about lotus posture. My allignment in lotus so far has felt entirely accidental. Thanks again - Cat ashtangayoga, "Scott Rennie" <scott.rennie@v...> wrote: > I'm with you on the hip inflexibility/knee problems, but I don't think there > is a real answer out there. Most of my problems seem to come in Janu > Shirshasana or thereabouts, and any lotus posture too. Which postures are > giving you problems? > > Re blocks, at a recent weekend seminar the instructor said sure, use them if > you like, but there's nothing you can do with blocks that you can't do > without them in a modified posture. His opinion was that it's better to do > the modified posture than use blocks. > > Re Lotus, I think it is very important to learn the posture properly as I > found that what I _thought_ was the correct hip/knee/foot position wasn't > really correct after all. I can only advise talking it over with an > instructor. > > I still find my knees hurt almost every day, but it wears off after a few > hours or so. There is a difference between a mild strain and a real injury, > although the former can lead to the latter if you're not too careful. I take > it you have a full-blown injury if it's so bad that you need 2 weeks off. > > Cheers, > > Scott > > > catbalco [catbalco] > 16 May 2002 18:45 > ashtangayoga > ashtanga yoga knee injury > > > Hello, I've just started practicing Astanga seriously about 7 > months ago. I'm very athletic (have a lot of strength), and have > extremely inflexible hips. Despite my attempts to be careful, I've > found that my hip inflexibility has caused my knees to > overcompensate in lotus/half-lotus like positions, and therefore > HURT. I've just taken two weeks off to give them a chance to > heal, but would like to start practicing again. At a friend's > suggestion, I'm using a block to support my knees in these > positions. > > Does anyone have any other advice for me about avoiding further > knee strain? How careful do you think I'll need to be in order to > keep practicing regularly without doing real damage? Are there > any other folks with VERY inflexible hips out there? Any advice? > > Thanks - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 17, 2002 Cat <<Janu Shirsasana, certainly, and arda badda padmottanasana/pachimatanasana (sp?) also, where I think I was rather too agressive in my attempts to bind. Do you agree that a viable variation for the first of these two is commonly known as "tree posture" - placing one foot on the inside of the other thigh (rather than on top of it), and just practicing balancing, rather than bending over?>> I have big problems with my knees in any lotus position. In the standing half-bound lotus I bring my foot up as high as possible, making sure that I try to rotate the hip to take the strain off the knee and onto the hip. I cannot bind but I do (as advised by instructor) bend the knee (to help keep lotus leg in position) and bend over, some days more than others (some days not far at all). My instructor said that he had heard some people say not to bend over unless you can bind, but he reckons that makes it very difficult to progress. In seated half-bound lotus I find that I really have to concentrate on tensing my thigh muscle (especially on right) to avoid pain, and bending forward as far as I can. Tree should be a good starting point for the pose, but doesn't really open the hips out, so I'd just try to do the lotus, no matter how far down the leg the foot sits. If your hips are way too tight a good start-up posture (in seated at least) would be to bend the 'straight' leg and place other foot on knee, then lie back and pull the bent leg towards you -- I have no idea what this is called, and if anyone can explain better please do, it opens up the hips quite well. For Janu Shirshasana a good tip is to press the heel firmly into the thigh, which seems to lessen the likelihood of knee pain. I thought I'd gotten away without any knee pain in practice today, but it just didn't arrive until later. <<Its also good to hear that a little bit of knee strain/pain is OK/not necessarily preemtive of an injury - because I can't imagine practicing without tweaking my knees even just a little. I don't think I've really injured myself yet, although I do think I caught myself just in time.>> That's the trick, balancing between too little and too much. <<I will definitely take you up on your suggestion to get some professional advice about lotus posture. My allignment in lotus so far has felt entirely accidental.>> External guidance is pretty important, you will come on leaps and bounds. Cheers, Scott Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 24, 2002 ashtangayoga, "Scott Rennie" <scott.rennie@v...> wrote: > I'm with you on the hip inflexibility/knee problems, but I don't think there > is a real answer out there. Most of my problems seem to come in Janu > Shirshasana or thereabouts, and any lotus posture too. Which postures are > giving you problems? > > Re blocks, at a recent weekend seminar the instructor said sure, use them if > you like, but there's nothing you can do with blocks that you can't do > without them in a modified posture. His opinion was that it's better to do > the modified posture than use blocks. > > Re Lotus, I think it is very important to learn the posture properly as I > found that what I _thought_ was the correct hip/knee/foot position wasn't > really correct after all. I can only advise talking it over with an > instructor. > > I still find my knees hurt almost every day, but it wears off after a few > hours or so. There is a difference between a mild strain and a real injury, > although the former can lead to the latter if you're not too careful. I take > it you have a full-blown injury if it's so bad that you need 2 weeks off. > > Cheers, > > Scott > > > catbalco [catbalco] > 16 May 2002 18:45 > ashtangayoga > ashtanga yoga knee injury > > > Hello, I've just started practicing Astanga seriously about 7 > months ago. I'm very athletic (have a lot of strength), and have > extremely inflexible hips. Despite my attempts to be careful, I've > found that my hip inflexibility has caused my knees to > overcompensate in lotus/half-lotus like positions, and therefore > HURT. I've just taken two weeks off to give them a chance to > heal, but would like to start practicing again. At a friend's > suggestion, I'm using a block to support my knees in these > positions. > > Does anyone have any other advice for me about avoiding further > knee strain? How careful do you think I'll need to be in order to > keep practicing regularly without doing real damage? Are there > any other folks with VERY inflexible hips out there? Any advice? > > Thanks - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
