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New User
Posts: 4
| Hello,
I have just begun to practice, but am having an issue with my knee. I injured it several years ago -- like 20.
I told one of the teachers, but her response is basically that the yoga brings up old injuries and, eventually, it will get better. It doesn't seem right, though. I cannot tell for sure which posture is aggravating it. I definitely feel it during fixed firm. I think some of the balancing may be aggravtating it too.
I am at least 40 lbs overweight so am sure that is adding extra stress as well.
Any suggestions? |
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| Fixed firm can be a great pose for people with healthy knees. It is a very dangerous pose for people who are overweight and have bad knees. Gently exercising a bad knee can help it, stressing or forcing a bad knee will definitely injure it. Fixed firm can also be a problem for people with lower back issues.
If I were you, I would find a yoga teacher who understands how to modify poses to fit your unique physical situation (every body is a unique situation!). If you cannot find a Bikram teacher who can do this, please find a style of yoga that is flexible enough to fit your personal physical needs.
Whatever you do, do NOT fall for the "it may hurt now, but just keep doing it as it will all fix itself with enough practice" routine.
If you feel pain (especially in your neck or knees), you are injuring yourself!
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Regular
Posts: 62
| Castor oil pack at nights also can be helpful for knee healing process. |
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New User
Posts: 4
| jpg - 2011-04-24 10:42 AM
Fixed firm can be a great pose for people with healthy knees. It is a very dangerous pose for people who are overweight and have bad knees. Gently exercising a bad knee can help it, stressing or forcing a bad knee will definitely injure it. Fixed firm can also be a problem for people with lower back issues.
If I were you, I would find a yoga teacher who understands how to modify poses to fit your unique physical situation (every body is a unique situation!). If you cannot find a Bikram teacher who can do this, please find a style of yoga that is flexible enough to fit your personal physical needs.
Whatever you do, do NOT fall for the "it may hurt now, but just keep doing it as it will all fix itself with enough practice" routine.
If you feel pain (especially in your neck or knees), you are injuring yourself!
I appreciate you confirming what I already suspected. I have had a couple of different yoga classes before and did not like them nearly as well as Bikram. I have thought about doing Power Yoga, but hopefully, I can stay with Bikram. |
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Regular
Posts: 66
| veghead - 2011-04-25 8:10 PM
I appreciate you confirming what I already suspected. I have had a couple of different yoga classes before and did not like them nearly as well as Bikram. I have thought about doing Power Yoga, but hopefully, I can stay with Bikram.
You can continue with Bikram, Just be mindful of your own body. Go easy on any knee type posture such as Fixed Firm, tree, toe stand. Even rabbit and final breathing where your retracting your knee fully and putting pressure on it if thats whats causing the irritation.
Generally its not a 'style' of yoga that causes problems, just ones ability to manage their own body's limits. Heat and a over exuberant instructor can make some of us competitive types over reach past where our body says stop. But the same can happen in any style.
Jar |
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| Jar - 2011-05-05 10:27 PM
Generally its not a 'style' of yoga that causes problems, just ones ability to manage their own body's limits. Heat and a over exuberant instructor can make some of us competitive types over reach past where our body says stop.
Well said.
Unfortunately, the Bikram dialogue (monologue) and many Bikram teachers generally encourage one to exceed one's limits to a dangerous point. There are also many excellent Bikram teachers who do understand the difference between encouragement and pushing past what is safe. All of the Bikram poses are NOT good for all people, despite what Bikram says. He is, after all, selling something! I personally know a number of people who have seriously injured their knees doing Bikram yoga. Yes, it has a lot to do with how the individual was doing the poses, but it also has a lot to do with the general Bikram culture as well as some of the poses themselves.
This is not just a Bikram problem. For example, many Iyengar students seriously injure their necks doing shoulderstand and headstand.
One size fits all would work if we were all the same. We aren't.
To be successful at yoga, you need to learn to follow your body, not some authority figure who doesn't even know you.
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Veteran
Posts: 243
| Hmm, what your teacher said is true, and from what you say, it does sound like the injury is working out, but there is more helpful advice, in my opinion, specifically for that posture and your problem. What kind of injury was it? Can you do awkward and eagle? How is rabbit and camel and half-tortoise for you?
Judging only by your post there is a very subtle modification you can do for fixed firm that we recommend in our studio- when you sit down, place your heels apart so you can slide the hips down, but bring your body weight forward into your arms before you sit down and arms straight down from the shoulders to the floor. You can open your knees as much as you need to which also takes pressure off. Then you slowly bring your hips down toward the heels but stop at any point of resistance and you are still sitting upright. Body weight is still forward and on your arms and not on the knees and as that injury works itself out you will be able to sink the hips lower. And for the strengthening the knee postures- especially standing head to knee, standing bow pulling pose and balancing stick- work on that standing leg above all else- don't go deeper or further into the posture until you are sure that leg is strong and straight, thigh muscle contracted and kneecap lifted up. Your body weight should be forward and the ankle, knee and hip stacked on top of each other in one line. And if you are having problems in eagle and awkward, don't go as deep, just do what you can in the posture.
I hope that helps. But remember I can't see you or know your practice! You should also always let your teacher know, before every class that you have knee issues and a good teacher/studio should be able to offer constructive advice. If they can't- then you might try another studio if you want to stick with bikram or try another form of yoga as suggested above. |
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Member
Posts: 9
| @yoga-addict are you a bikram teacher? |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
| yes- I've been teaching bikram for a year and a half now. |
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| I would like to take proper guidance regarding bikram yoga for my regular knee pains. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| I have just had meniscus surgery. Was Bikram to blame. Who knows? I definitely think I pushed fixed firm because it was so nice to be in that posture. Now I am afraid to go back. I wonder about the whole balancing series and basically any one legged poses. I also am concerned about Rabbitt. I have been modifying the final breathing for months. I'm not sure how to proceed. If you skip enough postures it because just a sauna. |
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Knee Issue
