Knee pain in samasthiti

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi! Ive been learning about ashtanga for a couple months now and and have slowly started working my way through the sun salutations. I can get all the way through both with out much problem except that when I am standing straight with my feet together, the insides of my knees press against each other. After a couple days of this its starts to get kinda painful and even causes bruising. Are there any suggestions as to how I may correct this?

Thanks a lot!

#2

Sure.

Either;

  • move the flesh of the inner thighs toward the thigh bones while standing in the pose

  • place a thin foam pad of folded mat remnant between the inner knees

  • stand with the outer edges of the big toe mounds touching BUT the heels slightly apart

  • stand with the feet slightly apart

  • consult your teacher to have this assessed appropriately and subsequently have feedback customized to your current living

#3

thank you for responding so quickly! Unfortunately I havent found a teacher (there are no ashtanga teachers in my area) so for now Im just gonna try seperating my feet a little and doing some knee excersises, we’ll see if they start straightening up a bit. thanks again!!!

#4

You are quite welcome.

So are we to understand that you are engaging an ashtanga asana practice without the guidance of a teacher? Pray tell, what is the genesis of this practice? Books, DVDs, previous instruction?

It is quite important to be well-guided as beginners tend to build habits that last for some time and can be very difficult to unlearn. Foundational learning, that is appropriate relative to alignment, is quite important. Take it from one who found out the hard way.

#5

yes for the time being I am, but I am only doing sun salutations until I find a teacher. I have been learning about yoga for a couple years (yes mostly through books and dvds) and started getting into ashtanga only a couple months ago. I do understand the importance of a qualified instructor but the closest one to me is about 2 and a half hours away so Im just taking it slow and getting as much information as I can for now.